Bad Influence
by Rozi
Summary: Angua is framed for a brutal murder of an anti-undead activist. Her daughter Elsa is convinced of her innocence, Carrot represents her in a murder trial. And so Discworld's answer to To Kill A Mockingbird ensues!(UPDATED! chapter11!And authorannouncement)
1. They look familiar

1 Bad influence  
  
1.1 By Rozi aka Angua's #1 fan  
  
Miss Susan Sto Helit looked under a classroom desk; there was a wet patch. She groaned, Aaron didn't tell her about it these days.  
  
But a good teacher always comes prepared.  
  
She reached into the stock cupboard to pull out a supply of towels and jumped.  
  
"Good Gods, it's bad enough when Death of Rats does that!" She cried.  
  
"Sorry," Lubsang smiled "didn't mean to scare you."  
  
Susan picked up the towels "I'll be out in a minute, I have to see a student's mother about something."  
  
"Blame the parents eh?"  
  
"Something like that, but a little moreE¦ complicated. Do you mind?"  
  
"Alright, I'll be outside."  
  
Susan carefully shut the cupboard and rolled her eyes.  
  
After the mess was cleared up she looked up at the clock, she was ten minutes late, but that might be the job. It tended to take up a lot of time.  
  
She dusted her jacket off and laid it carefully on the back of her chair.  
  
She looked around.  
  
Then, carefully, opened a bottom drawer in her desk, she looked around again and picked up a small selection of chocolates.  
  
"Old habits die hard?"  
  
Susan turned at the voice, "Oh, you are?"  
  
"My daughter's been causing trouble hasn't she?" The woman stood in the doorway outside the classroom.  
  
Susan nodded and sat down "Care for a drink?"  
  
"Not on duty thanks, I know what the teachers keep as drinks in their desks."  
  
Susan raised an eyebrow "Spoken to a lot of teachers have you?"  
  
The woman sighed and rubbed her eyes "Like you wouldn't believe," she said wearily "how much is it this time, my wages can't cover anymore windows."  
  
"Your daughter hasn't broken any more Miss."  
  
"Sergeant, if you don't mind."  
  
Angua removed her helmet and laid it on the desk in front of her "Mind if I get a chair?"  
  
"No, take a seat," Susan leaned back in hers.  
  
"What has she done this time?" She asked, "I will not take responsibility for any more teachers seeking early retirement due to nervous break downs, if they start seeing things then it's their fault not mine-"  
  
"Young Elsa is a werewolf."  
  
There was a long, strangling silence.  
  
"I'm sorry?" Asked Angua, keeping her face as straight as a statue, "I'm not sure I heard you correctly."  
  
"Yes you are, Sergeant Angua, I know about Elsa and you."  
  
Angua's eyes narrowed, she took a deep breath and leaned forward in her chair "How exactly do you know-"  
  
Then Angua stopped and the penny dropped.  
  
"You drink in Biers don't you? I've seen you, you are the one with the-"  
  
"VOICE?" Susan coughed, "That would be me."  
  
"Ah, I see."  
  
There was another long silence.  
  
"You haven't-" Angua began.  
  
"No, it's not exactly something I would discuss over tea and gin in the staff room is it?"  
  
"Gin? Ye Gods, I thought Watchmen had it hard."  
  
Susan sighed, "I have no intention of making a big deal about it Sergeant, I have a feeling of what will happen if your. secret gets out."  
  
"Thank you," said Angua bitterly.  
  
"But your daughter she's a little. well, she did threaten to tear out Billy's jugular vein if he called her-" Susan checked some papers "- 'Mummy's little girl' one more time, since then he positively wets himself every time she looks at him."  
  
Angua rolled her eyes "She gets that from me," she said.  
  
"But your son doesn't seem to have the same problem."  
  
Angua shrugged "He never does."  
  
"He offered to help me pack away the pencils today and clean the board."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Normally if a student does this, they usually have to leave school with a bloody nose and a new nick name."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yet Rex has no trouble from the other boys at all."  
  
"You don't say?"  
  
"In fact, everyone likes him. In the staff room, the other teachers fight over who gets to teach him! Do you know why Sergeant? It's because when ever he enters a room, everyone else goes as quiet as a mouse. The whole class room is silent for the whole lesson and they offer to help when he asks them to."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Why is this do you think?"  
  
"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest, he gets it from his fath-"  
  
Angua stopped and met Susan's gaze.  
  
There was yet another long silence.  
  
"There had been. rumours, about you and Captain Carrot," said Susan carefully.  
  
"Rumours?"  
  
"Untrue I should think."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Susan picked up a pile of papers and said briskly "I suggest you talk to your daughter about her behaviour, I know there are some things she can't help, but I'm sure for your sake and hers-"  
  
"I'll talk to her tonight Miss Sto Helit."  
  
"As for Rex, commend him on his enthusiasm and tell him that he'll go far."  
  
"Right to the top I should think," said Angua thoughtfully, "with a name like Rex."  
  
"Quite a name," Susan said.  
  
"Ca- I mean, his father thought it would be appropriate."  
  
"Yes, I can see why."  
  
Susan opened the door for Angua as she walked out, "I hope we don't meet again like this," she said, "Are you going to be in Biers?"  
  
"Not tonight, I'm on duty, but maybe some other time?"  
  
"Certainly," said Susan as Angua smoothed back her hair and replaced her helmet  
  
"Just one more thing Miss Sto Helit-" Angua turned as she walked out of the doorway.  
  
"Call me Susan."  
  
"Susan, how did you get that voice?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
Angua raised an eyebrow "The one that makes you feel like you have seconds to live."  
  
Susan grinned and for a moment, though Angua could swear she was imaging it, her eyes went slightly odd, hard to define. They looked slightly skull like.  
  
"Let's just say; no one can help their inheritance?"  
  
Angua smiled "I'll see you soon then."  
  
Angua walked out thoughtfully, "What a strange woman," she said to no one in particular "she smelt like Death!"  
  
THE END  
  
** I am VERY VERY SORRY! Terry Pratchett's gonna sue somebody! ** 


	2. Just like my dad

Bad Influence- Just like my dad  
  
1.1 By Rozi  
  
**I doubt anything like this will happen; this is all just wishful thinking. It's not got a real story line, it's just plodding along for my own amusement and because other people asked my to add chapters.. So if you don't like it, you asked me! NAH! **  
  
Carrot sat on his chair and stared thoughtfully at the little youth who stood in front of his desk.  
  
"Alright Rex, if I said to you 'Hergeez gr'ah thung,' what would you say?"  
  
The little boy screwed up his face in thought for a moment and said, "Er. 'Yoth hak'ra da. er. thy'rug.'"  
  
Carrot beamed happily "Well done, you're defiantly coming along on those verbs, but the past tense is a little rusty," he said encouragingly.  
  
"Past tense is a little hard," Rex replied with a blush, drilling his foot into the floor bashfully, "but I think I got the hang of the accent."  
  
"Definitely," Carrot said, "it's a pity your sister isn't as keen on learning dwarfish as you are."  
  
Rex shrugged "I'm sure she will do some day," he conceded, "She's probably a little busy."  
  
Carrot nodded again "You ought to go and find her, speaking of which," he got out of his chair, "Angua and I are going on duty soon, she went to have a talk with your teacher so she'll be back in a minute."  
  
Rex's face took on a mask of panic.  
  
"Rex, I'm sure Miss Sto Helit will only have good things to say about you and Elsa. You're both very bright and helpful. well maybe Elsa could behave herself better and control her temper. but it will be alright," Carrot stood up and pushed back his chair carefully.  
  
"Okay dad," Rex looked up at Carrot, "I'll be back soon, and shall I ask Sam home as well?"  
  
Carrot picked up his helmet from his desk "Sure, Mr Vimes will probably want him home soon to. He's got duty in The Shades."  
  
Rex went out of the office, stopped at the door and turned "Bye dad!" He cried and ran out to find his sister.  
  
Carrot smiled to himself, he smoothed back his hair, placed his helmet on his head and thought 'All in all, I couldn't have asked for better children.'  
  
Rex leant against the wall, he rocked on his heels when he was waiting and he hummed.  
  
Rex was quite tall for his age, he was five, but he could have easily passed for six or even eight. His strawberry blonde hair sat neatly on his head, his blue eyes radiated innocence and he even had little boyish muscles.  
  
In pretty much every aspect, Rex was his father's son.  
  
He did have one major difference, but it wasn't visible to very many people. It was quite a strange thing really, but not if you looked at his family history.  
  
Round about this time of the month, he got really bad headaches.  
  
And an urge to scratch his ear with his hind leg.  
  
It wasn't a life-changing trait; it wasn't visible outwardly. In fact it was barely a burden on his life. It just meant he had to avoid carts and lampposts.  
  
And cats.  
  
It didn't bother him really; it was nothing to worry about after all.  
  
His twin sister on the other hand.  
  
He walked idly into an alley; they held no danger for him, if anyone were lurking in there he would usually greet them with a friendly "Hello Mr Nails! My dad wants to know if you have paid off those thieves' guild licence payments yet? Only if you were having trouble I could fetch him for you."  
  
Rex admired his dad, and his mother come to that.  
  
For Rex's fifth birthday he had got a wooden sword that his dad had made for him. It wasn't much use as a weapon (unless he met a vampire in a dark alley), but he carried it, even to school in the same way his father carried his.  
  
He respected his mother and admired her to, he was fairly fluent in Uberwaldian as well as dwarfish, he couldn't transform into a wolf, but he had the sense of smell and he could speak canine.  
  
But his dad, he looked up to him, in a rather more literal sense and thought highly of him more.  
  
Right now. he could smell...  
He turned to see a.... dog wasn't the right word; it was small, furry, insofar as a wolf pup could grin it was grinning.  
  
"El-" Rex began.  
  
The pup leapt at him, with quite a force and knocked him back to the cobbles.  
  
"OW!"  
  
He winced and sat up; the wolf pup was sitting on his chest with a smug expression. "Gotcha!" It cried, "Should have been ready!"  
  
Elsa leapt off of him and sat wagging her tail.  
  
Rex rubbed his back "Dad says we need to get home, do you know where Sam is?"  
  
"He's going to meet us," Elsa said, "I'll just go and change."  
  
Rex waited outside a side alley for his sister to emerge; she walked out trying without success to tidy her hair and straightening her shirt.  
  
Elsa didn't really admire anyone as such, but the closest thing was that she respected her mother. After all, they were the same species.  
  
Werewolf genetics are incredibly fickle to say the least and when human blood is involved it can make things even more difficult.  
  
However, when Rex and Elsa were born their parents slight panic was over.  
  
One was human and the other was a werewolf.  
  
Apart from the usual customary "grabbing the father's finger in an unbelievably cute way" (Elsa had bit it) they were perfectly normal, healthy babies. and pup.  
  
Carrot and Angua couldn't have been more proud of their children.  
  
Elsa was a little smaller than her brother; her long strawberry blonde hair was usually tied back into a ponytail or a plait.  
  
In wolf form, if you wanted to be lazy in description, you could see she was a smaller version of her mother, except she fur was slightly redder and shorter.  
  
She had the general stance and attitude of a girl that had long ago said "no" to anything pink, fluffy or as she put it "girlie". Her knees were always grazed or caked in mud and she refused OUTRIGHT to go any where near a bath.  
  
She was in many ways very different to her brother.  
  
She had very little patience and her temper threatened to snap at any given time. Her mother could see where she got that from.  
  
Rex and Elsa were among probably the most respected children in the neighbourhood, but they weren't the only ones. There was one more. He had been their friend since they were babies; his dad knew their dad and he caused as much trouble as Elsa ever could.  
  
His name was Sam Vimes... just like his dad.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. Now, now children

1 Bad influence- Now, now Children.  
  
** To be honest, I'm not really sure where the hell this is going now, I'm just writing for myself for than anyone else, so there might be a chance it will be a little. bad? You have been warned.***  
  
Sam grinned when he saw them; he had been leaning against a wall and chewing a little cocktail stick. He had the stance of a 'troublesome youth'; a glint in his eye that suggested he was up to something and in the back pocket of his breeches was a slingshot.  
  
He was older than Rex and Elsa, but Rex still towered over him, he had earned his nickname not for reasons of hygiene, but for many others.  
  
Sam would fight everyone if he saw a reason to, he wasn't easily frightened to the climb trees on his family estate, shot the assassins that hid up there with his sling shot, he slid down the banisters of stairs and always had the smug grin of someone who knew how to get himself out of trouble quickly.  
  
He was eight.  
  
Only an hour ago Sam shot an assassin out of a tree, who had tried to get his father by trying to shot him as he went to the dragon pens.  
  
"I got him right on the bum!" He was saying to Rex and Elsa as they walked back to the Watch house, "he screamed and fell out shouting that he was going to get me with the back of his hand!"  
  
"Why the back?" Asked Rex.  
  
Sam shrugged "Dunno, anyway, my dad said to him 'you try and I'll make you eat those words along with your crossbow!' He is so COOL my dad."  
  
"I would have ripped that assassin up," said Elsa.  
  
"You ain't me, I ain't a werewolf," said Sam dismissively.  
  
"So? Still could have torn him to shreds," she retorted.  
  
"That's not nice," said Rex, "assassins go after your dad a lot don't they Sam?"  
  
Sam nodded proudly "It's cause my dad makes rich enemies."  
  
"Ours doesn't."  
  
"That's cause our dad couldn't make enemies if he tried," said Elsa, "that's what mother says."  
  
  
  
"Hello you three," said Carrot brightly as they entered the Watch house, "you know the drill?"  
  
"Stay here," said Elsa wearily.  
  
"Good, I want you two in bed be the time I get back, understood?"  
  
"Yes dad," said Rex and Elsa, Rex slightly more enthusiastic than Elsa.  
  
"Good, Sam?"  
  
"Yes Mr Carrot?" Sam said politely.  
  
"Your father wants to see you, in his office," Carrot nodded at his children, "goodnight you two."  
  
"'Night dad."  
  
Carrot departed out of the main door.  
  
Elsa pouted, "I hate going to bed early," she muttered.  
  
"Do as your father says Elsa."  
  
The voice came in a rather ominous fashion; it was the voice of her mother.  
  
Sergeant Angua stood behind Elsa with her arms folded, she looked down on the little girl who looked back up at her.  
  
"Hello mother," she said innocently, she could smell something wrong, "how are you?"  
  
Angua raised an eyebrow "Young lady, I had a talk with your teacher today."  
  
Elsa swallowed "Yes?"  
  
"We had QUITE a discussion, I think you and I ought to have a talk as well."  
  
Elsa couldn't disguise her fear.  
  
"I have got plenty of time before I go on duty, would you like to step this way?" Angua led Elsa to the canteen for a TALK.  
  
  
  
Angua dusted her chair carefully and sat down "Elsa, I need to talk to you."  
  
"Uh-huh?"  
  
Angua removed her helmet "This is really important Elsa, I want you to take this in for yours, mine, Rex's and your father's sakes."  
  
Elsa looked down at her feet.  
  
"You know what I'm talking about don't you Elsa?"  
  
She didn't meet her mother's gaze, but Elsa knew VERY well what her mother was talking about.  
  
"Yes," she muttered quietly.  
  
Angua leaned forward "Elsa, listen to me; you cannot tell people about your. our. condition."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Angua stared directly at her "How do you think people would react if they found out you could rip out their throats and use them as a chew toy?"  
  
Elsa thought about it "They'd be scared?"  
  
"That's an understatement, they'd be PETRIFIED, they wouldn't want you ant where near them and they will want you gone."  
  
Elsa nodded "Billy wets himself now any time he comes near me," she said with a grin.  
  
"Elsa, does he know that you are a werewolf?"  
  
"No, he's just scared of me."  
  
Angua sighed with relief "Thank gods."  
  
Elsa put her chin in her hands "But they won't kill us will they? I haven't actually killed anyone, I don't want to kill anyone so why will people be scared?"  
  
Angua stared past her for a moment "I suppose. they don't like people having the ability to take a wolf form, or think like one."  
  
"I don't think like a wolf," Elsa said.  
  
"Well you ought to thank your human genes for that," Angua laughed a little, "I should think you have better control over your wolf side."  
  
"What?" Elsa bunched up her face.  
  
Angua shook her head "Never mind, I'll tell you later, right now it's time you went to bed."  
  
Elsa groaned.  
  
"Now, you're sleeping here tonight. Your basket tidy?"  
  
"Yes," said Elsa unenthusiastically.  
  
"I hope you've stopped chewing on your basket, it's not good for your teeth," Angua added.  
  
Elsa grinned "Your basket's got teeth marks in it."  
  
"I'm different, I've already got good teeth. Now, go! Go on!"  
  
Elsa rolled her eyes "I'm five years old, I'm not a kid."  
  
Elsa watched her retreating back as she walked up the stairs to Carrot's room.  
  
  
  
They had a system, ever since the children were born, that they slept in alternate places each week. One week they slept at Angua's and the other at Carrot's. Angua had made sure that Elsa slept at her father's during full moon week, so that Elsa didn't get any ideas about following her mother out on "Moonlight Patrol".  
  
She was far too young, Angua had said, to go out on her own yet. For one thing, Angua wasn't sure about how much Elsa's human blood would affect her strengths and weaknesses as a werewolf. Maybe it wasn't only silver that could kill her, maybe she was just as vulnerable as a human, but Angua didn't want to experiment and come out with a bad result.  
  
  
  
Safe in the knowledge that Elsa was safe, Angua went to out on patrol.  
  
  
  
Sam wasn't sure about his dad's office, and whenever he was called to see him there it always worried him.  
  
Like Rex he looked up to his dad, but he was often a little apprehensive of him.  
  
He had gained respect and dislike by having a Commander of Watch as his father, comments like "My dad was arrested by your dad so I'm going to teach you a lesson" were often common, but then again so were "my dad told me to tell you he's trying to pay off the thieves guild so can your dad leave him alone for a while please?"  
  
Sam opened the door into his father's office.  
  
Sam Vimes Senior sat at his desk reading a piece of paper; young Sam entered quietly and sat down on a chair in front of the desk.  
  
After a while, Vimes screwed up the paper and threw into the office fireplace.  
  
"Ah hello lad, I ought to talk to you."  
  
"'S dad," Sam muttered.  
  
"For a start, thanks for saving my arse today, I know I won't have to spend your mother's money on any more bear traps."  
  
Sam beamed with pride.  
  
"But, there is something else I'd like to talk to you about."  
  
'Uh oh,' Sam thought, 'what have I done?'  
  
"Your governess, lad, has decided that she wants to leave."  
  
Sam looked up to meet his dad's gaze "Really?"  
  
Vimes rolled his eyes "God's sake lad, wouldn't you want to leave if someone kept setting fire to your dress?"  
  
Sam tried to hold back a snigger, without success.  
  
"And pouring ink into her bag wasn't exactly a vote of confidence for her teaching skills."  
  
"Sorry dad," muttered Sam, "I promise I won't do it again-"  
  
"Oh I guarantee you won't! You're going to school my lad!"  
  
Sam's eyes widened "What?!"  
  
"It's where I went when I was your age, do you the world of good!"  
  
"But DAD-"  
  
"You're to start next week."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Sam's faced twisted into a grimace of disgust "I don't want to go to a posh boy's school! I'll have to act like a poncy arse head like Lord Selachii's son!"  
  
Vimes sighed, "No you won't lad, for one thing you are going to Rex and Elsa's school."  
  
Rex's eyes lit up "Really dad?"  
  
"Yes, I believe there is a teacher there who is very good and you need a little more education."  
  
"Okay," Sam pouted, "I'll go."  
  
"Finally lad, don't use language like that," Vimes got out of his chair, "at least not in the presence of your mother. She thinks I'm teaching you bad habits."  
  
"Fine," said Sam, "so Lord Selachii's son isn't a poncy arse head then?"  
  
"Oh he is," Vimes conceded, "but in front of your mother you call him a "son of a stuck up streak of piss" understand?"  
  
"Yes dad," Sam got out of his chair and followed his father to the door.  
  
"I'll get Sergeant Detritus to escort you home," said Vimes.  
  
"Okay, night dad."  
  
"See you tomorrow."  
  
  
  
Carrot smiled as he saw Angua approach, "Good evening," he said "they in bed?"  
  
Angua nodded "Elsa was going up the last time I saw her."  
  
"Did you talk to her?"  
  
"Yes," she rubbed her eyes, "I hope she took it in."  
  
"I'm sure she did," Carrot patted Angua on the shoulder, "she's very intelligent for her age."  
  
Angua took his hand "Just like her mother," she laughed.  
  
Carrot laughed to "Yes," he leaned his forehead against hers "defiant and intelligent."  
  
"Hopefully," Angua said quietly, "it will all be alright."  
  
"It has been so far hasn't it? A long time."  
  
"True, but I'm just. a little. worried about her that's all, and Rex. If anyone finds out."  
  
"You'll be alright, maybe everybody will see sense, you have been living in the city for a long time now and you have been in the Watch just as long."  
  
Angua looked up at him "Doesn't make any difference, Carrot, I'm so afraid that if people found out about me and then Elsa they'd-"  
  
"I won't let them."  
  
Angua sighed, she was Carrot's daughter and Carrot was the living embodiment of respect, but would that make a difference?  
  
Carrot kissed her on the forehead "It'll be alright."  
  
Angua smiled, it will be wouldn't it? She had lived here in the city for. gods. ten years now? She had a job, a home, friends, children and.  
  
She looked up into Carrot's eyes.  
  
.. A husband.  
  
To be continued.  
  
**Told you so! ** 


	4. Kids will be kids

1 Bad influence- Part 4- Kids will be kids.  
  
***As usual: all credit to the great TP and his wonderful creation. I've noticed the story is veering towards To Kill A Mockingbird, so I'm sticking with it. You don't have to have read the book (although I highly recommend it!) but it might help. Anyways, ENJOY! ***  
  
Rex and Elsa slept one at each end of a small bed set up in their father's room, except Elsa had to sleep in a small basket every so often, and Elsa was having trouble sleeping. Rex had got used to Elsa kicking and snorting in her sleep and he usually just dozed off, but now he looked up and saw Elsa was perfectly still. He wasn't used to this, it meant Elsa had something on her mind.  
  
"Elsa?" He whispered.  
  
"Hmm?" She shifted and tried to face away from her brother's gaze.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, why shouldn't I be?"  
  
Rex leaned over to glimpse at his sister's face; she had her face buried into her pillow.  
  
"Elsa?" He asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Are you sure-"  
  
"YES!" She shot up and faced her brother.  
  
He looked shocked, then she realised why, she had red streaks down her face and there were tearstains on her pillow.  
  
"Elsa." said Rex leaning over, "you've been-"  
  
"I know! I don't need the boy wonder to tell me!" She snapped.  
  
Rex looked taken aback for a moment and then he said, "What's the matter?"  
  
Elsa cuddled her knees and sniffed deeply "None of your business."  
  
She buried her face in her knees for a long time, not meeting her brother's earnest, but nonetheless drilling, gaze for what seemed like a long time.  
  
She looked up to see he was still looking at her.  
  
"Alright," she sniffed knowing she had lost the waiting game, "I'm. scared."  
  
Rex put his hand on hers "What of?"  
  
Fresh tears were in Elsa's eyes now "I. mother, she said. that I scare people, that we both scare people, that we might get pushed out of the city!"  
  
Rex looked shocked "What? That's not right is it?"  
  
Elsa nodded "She said I had to control my wolf side, I don't know what she means. I'm so scared I'll hurt- no kill someone! Then me and mother will have to leave Ankh Morpork!"  
  
Rex shook his head "Not you won't!" He said, "You're not going to kill someone! I promise, besides, if you leave Ankh Morpork then we'll all have to leave!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Dad and me, it won't just be you and mother."  
  
Elsa shook her head "No, you and Dad are human, you don't turn into a wolf and kill people!"  
  
She turned away and slid into the covers "We'll have to split up."  
  
"No!" Rex said firmly "You don't kill people, none of us do! We won't have to split up!"  
  
Elsa felt better at her brother's words, but she still felt scared. Right at her core, she felt utterly terrified and alone. She liked life in the city; she wanted to grow up to be a Watchwoman like her mother and live here! She had never gone out of the city before, not in all of her short life.  
  
But she would soon get used to it.  
  
Her temper was fragile; everyone knew that, maybe that was what her mother was talking about. What if she got really angry? Maybe-  
  
She shut out the thought, or at least tried to.  
  
Her mother was always good at this, 'keeping a cool head' and she never had trouble with her wolf.  
  
But. a wolf wasn't always vicious was it? Well, not all the time at least. It had to be sometimes.  
  
"Rex?" She said quietly.  
  
"Yes?" Her brother replied.  
  
"Are wolves. killers?"  
  
Rex gave it some thought "They have to be sometimes," he said, "to kill their food or an enemy."  
  
"I only get angry when I need to be don't I?"  
  
Rex was quiet for a while "I. don't know, when Darren called you 'little prissy' you really got angry."  
  
Elsa was silent.  
  
"But you weren't going to kill him, you just hit him," Rex said reassuringly, "He got over it I'm sure!"  
  
Elsa sniffed; she had only broke his nose and got into trouble, but what if.  
  
"I. do have a temper don't I?" She sniffed and smiled, "Mother's always said."  
  
Rex smiled and said "Dad said it takes a stronger man to walk away than to pick up a weapon and fight."  
  
Elsa gave that thought and said icily "It's okay for him! He's tall and muscly! He can walk away and still not look like a complete wimp!"  
  
Rex conceded this to be fairly true.  
  
"But. it's still true, even if they make fun of you, you are still the stronger person for walking away without fighting or causing an argument."  
  
Elsa rolled her eyes, but then she thought 'He's right, as much as I hate to say it, I have to control my temper. otherwise.'  
  
She sighed, "Alright, I'll try to keep my temper," She said in defeat, "but if they are really REALLY asking for it I'll beat 'em-"  
  
"Only if it's really bad?" Rex asked.  
  
"Yes, okay," Elsa said reluctantly, "unless it's REALLY bad I'll try to walk away."  
  
Rex nodded "I'll help if I can."  
  
Elsa snuggled into her blankets "Thank you Rex."  
  
"You're welcome!"  
  
  
  
Morning broke.  
  
Watchmen staggered in after a hard night to hang up their uniform and go home. Rex and Elsa woke up to go to school.  
  
As usual, Carrot was fast asleep in bed when they woke up, so they quietly got dressed and washed ready for school.  
  
They came down to the main office to get breakfast at the canteen and met Sam there. He sat in a rather grumpy way, eyes narrowed, hair smoothed down and he wore a neat shirt with a tie, breeches and new boots.  
  
"Hey Sam," said Elsa, "what're you doing here? I thought you had a governess?"  
  
Sam sighed, "I do, well I used to. She left, so now I'm going to school with you."  
  
Rex smiled "That's great! You can sit with us in class!"  
  
Sam shook his head "I can't go to school looking like this! I'll be beaten up before I set foot in the gates! I look stupid!"  
  
Rex and Elsa knew how much Sam hated wearing neat clothes, he was a dirt magnet and that's how he liked to stay.  
  
"You look fine," said Elsa, "stop being pathetic."  
  
Sam glowered "I'm NOT! I hate looking all rich and posh and stuff!"  
  
A shadow briefly eclipsed the doorway and revealed the sleepy form of Captain Carrot "Good morning kids," he said with a yawn, "ready for school?"  
  
"Yes dad!" They replied.  
  
Carrot saw Sam "Good luck on your first day Sam, you're looking very smart I must say!"  
  
Sam looked at the floor "Thank you," he muttered coldly.  
  
As Carrot walked over to get some coffee Vimes walked in and saw his son.  
  
"Good morning lad!" He cried cheerfully "I see your mum made sure that you looked smart on your first day at school, you are looking smart-"  
  
"Dad, I look like a fool and you know it!" Sam snapped.  
  
Vimes smiled "Least you don't have to wear tights lad," he muttered. He picked up his usual cup of coffee from the canteen and nodded to Carrot.  
  
"Anything to report from last night?" Vimes asked.  
  
"No, it's been pretty quiet recently sir," Carrot reported cheerfully.  
  
"Good good," Vimes yawned, "you kids better get to school, don't want to be late eh Sam?"  
  
"No," muttered Sam.  
  
"We're off on duty," Carrot drained his coffee and patted his two children on the head "I hope you two have packed, it's move time tonight."  
  
They nodded; they did not have to take much back and forth, they had changes of clothes at both places and they only had a few toys. Elsa had a small rag doll that she would NEVER admit to owning, but used it as a chew toy most of the time in any case. Rex had his sword of course, which he hardly ever put down.  
  
  
  
Carrot waved them off on their way to school and turned to his commander "Sir, have you seen Angua?"  
  
Vimes raised an eyebrow "No, didn't she report in last night?"  
  
Carrot shook his head "Yes, but she hasn't come in this morning just yet. She walked home after duty last night. so..."  
  
Vimes shrugged "She's probably just late, I wouldn't worry about it just yet Carrot."  
  
"Yes sir. you're probably right," Carrot said brightly, "I just get a little more worried these days. what with the children."  
  
"Captain, I know the feeling, I'm sure she's alright."  
  
  
  
Sam, Rex and Elsa played "Coppers and Unlicensed Thieves" on the way to school. Or at least tried to.  
  
"Why do I ALWAYS have to play the unlicensed thief?" Complained Elsa, "Why can't you play the thief for once Sam?"  
  
"'Cause I'm the son of the Commander of the Watch," said Sam indignantly, "Rex can't play a thief cause. cause. he can't!"  
  
"Why me? I'm the daughter of the Captain and the Sergeant! Any way, why do our parents make any difference?"  
  
Sam was silent for a moment whilst he struggled with an answer.  
  
"Cause it does!" He said.  
  
"You two, it doesn't matter now does it?" Rex interjected, "We're nearly there now anyway."  
  
Sam and Elsa glared at each other and let the argue go. For the moment anyway.  
  
  
  
It wasn't in Sam Vimes' junior nature to be nervous, but now as he walked into the school playground, he couldn't help but feel slightly apprehensive. He wasn't used to being taught with other children his age, but it seemed he would have to get used to it.  
  
"Sam?"  
  
He turned to Rex "Yes?"  
  
"Don't worry, it's not that bad once you get used to it."  
  
"I'm not worrying!" Sam protested.  
  
"Yes you are," said Elsa, "I can smell it!"  
  
"I'm NOT WORRYING!"  
  
"YES YOU ARE!"  
  
"AM NOT!"  
  
"ARE TO!"  
  
"AM NOT!"  
  
"ARE TO!"  
  
"AM NOT!"  
  
"ARE TO!"  
  
"Elsa! Sam!"  
  
They stopped under Rex's gaze; Rex, like his father, had that TALENT to stop an argument by just being there.  
  
"Come on, that isn't the spirit for the first day of school is it? It's okay to be nervous Sam, I was, and Elsa don't be nasty to him."  
  
They muttered something along the lines of "'orry, won't happen again."  
  
"Good, now friends?"  
  
"'S."  
  
"Very good! Shake on it?"  
  
They held out their hands as if they had to touch something that passed through someone's digestive system.  
  
Rex could see he was going to have to help, he took Elsa's and Sam's hands in each of his and connected them.  
  
"Shake on it?"  
  
They shook hands reluctantly.  
  
"Good! Right-"  
  
The bell sounded loudly, to the dread of the staff.  
  
"We ought to get to class, don't want to be late now!" Rex said with a smile and strode to the doors, head and shoulders above the crowd of children around him.  
  
Sam and Elsa trudged behind him, humiliated.  
  
"How the hells does he do that?" Sam asked Elsa.  
  
Elsa shrugged "Mother says he gets it from dad," she said dismissively.  
  
"Where does your dad get it from?"  
  
Elsa seemed to give it some thought "She said she has asked herself that for the past ten or so years and she still doesn't know."  
  
"Oh."  
  
  
  
*** Author's note: Sorry for the interruption here folks, but I have to explain something. Elsa, Rex and Sam all are in the same class despite the fact that Sam is older than the twins, why, do you ask? The schools in Ankh Morpork, and quite probably most of the Disc, are run in a similar way to the Victorian English schools. All the pupils of varying ages were shoved together because it saved money for the school. So that's what's happening here. Hope this is okay, if it isn't. not much you can do about it. ***  
  
  
  
Miss Susan watched her pupils file into the classroom; she had had a notice in her pigeonhole that a new student was coming in. She had been told to keep an eye on him.  
  
Susan always kept an eye on her students.  
  
As they sat down quietly she began the register:  
  
"Darren?"  
  
"Yerf mith."  
  
"Still got that broken nose Darren?"  
  
"Yerf mith."  
  
There was a repressed snort of laughter.  
  
"Elsa, I think we can do without that thank you."  
  
"Sorry miss."  
  
Susan continued, "Rex?"  
  
"Here miss!" Came the cheerful reply.  
  
"Billy?"  
  
"'Ere."  
  
The list ran down until it got to the Vs.  
  
"Elsa?"  
  
"Here."  
  
"And.is there a new student today?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
Susan looked toward the boy connected to the voice.  
  
"Ah, you must be Samuel Gwilliam Oliver Vimes-Ramkin?"  
  
There was a series of giggles from around the classroom, much to the utter embarrassment of Samuel Gwilliam Oliver Vimes- Ramkin. It subsided quickly under Susan's heavy gaze.  
  
"Welcome to the class Samuel, I see you already know a few of the students here."  
  
Sam winced; a few of the tougher looking children had fathers who wanted words with his father. Yeah they knew him all right.  
  
"Er. Miss? Is it okay is you call me Sam?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
There was a silence, as Sam appeared to be considering this.  
  
"Because. it's my name."  
  
"Samuel, your name is Samuel so that is what I shall call you. Blame your mother for giving you your name."  
  
He slunk into his seat; he often did.  
  
"Right, I think it was time we begun the class don't you?" Susan turned to pick up a chalk.  
  
  
  
Sam paid attention as best he could, but something was nagging him; the teacher. There was something horribly odd about her, by now he would have put Errol the Second (his pet dragon, a birthday present from his mother) in her bag for a joke. However, he felt utterly powerless in the presence of Miss Sto Helit.  
  
Sam was not one to give in to a presence of power easily; he learnt that trait from his father.  
  
He opened his bag carefully under the table and pulled out his catapult. He made sure Miss couldn't see him, placed an ink pellet into the string, pulled back and..  
  
Fired.  
  
Susan moved so quickly it was as if she had not moved at all.  
  
She held the pellet in her hand above her head where Sam had fired it.  
  
She opened her hand; the pellet had not even opened to spill ink down her hand!  
  
Sam looked instantly guilty, the whole class turned to look at him and he wanted to melt into his seat.  
  
"Samuel? Try to work on you aim when you are OUTSIDE," the voice. it shook Sam right into his bones "the class room. Is that quite clear?"  
  
He swallowed "Yes miss, sorry miss."  
  
She tossed the ink pellet onto her desk "Good, you can stay here after class finishes and help me clear the books away, I must say, not a good start to the first day is it?"  
  
Sam looked at the floor.  
  
"Yes miss."  
  
"Miss Sto Helit?"  
  
Susan turned to see Rex holding his hand up.  
  
"Yes Rex?"  
  
"Is it alright if me and Elsa stayed to help him?"  
  
"What?!" Hissed Elsa.  
  
"Certainly, very kind of you and Elsa to offer," Susan nodded.  
  
"Thank you miss," said Rex.  
  
Elsa glared at her brother "I didn't want to help-"  
  
"Now, if that's all over I'd like to get back to the lesson please?"  
  
  
  
Break time sounded.  
  
The hordes of children rushed out into the playground, the teachers retreated to the staff room (all except for Mr Stanton, who had been pinned to his chair) and Rex, Sam and Elsa went into the playground.  
  
"I hate her," Sam spat.  
  
"Who?" Asked Rex.  
  
"Miss Sto Helit, she's really strange!"  
  
Elsa shrugged "She's always been like that."  
  
Sam shuddered "Did you hear that voice?"  
  
"That really deep one?" Elsa asked.  
  
Sam nodded with a wince "Dad says he's heard those kind of voices when he's dangling from a rooftop for dear life."  
  
"I'm not surprised," Elsa kicked a stone thoughtfully.  
  
Rex sighed, "You two are being a bit nasty aren't you?"  
  
They looked at him "No," said Elsa calmly, "we're just being true, she IS scary."  
  
"She's nice really," said Rex, "she's nice to me."  
  
"Everyone's nice to you!" Sam pointed out.  
  
"Are they?" Rex blushed, "I hadn't noticed."  
  
Of course he said that with total and complete honesty.  
  
"Of course," muttered Elsa.  
  
Rex shrugged and looked up at the school clock. It sat on a small tower where the bell sat.  
  
"I have to go," he said, "Mr Fulham asked me to referee the school football match."  
  
He strode off to the PE room leaving Sam and Elsa alone.  
  
"Want to do something?" Asked Sam.  
  
"Dunno, what d'you wanna do?" Replied Elsa.  
  
"Coppers and Unlicensed thieves?"  
  
"We always play that!"  
  
"What else do you want to play then?"  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
"I don't know. fetch?" Elsa rocked on her heels.  
  
Sam dug in his pocket and found a rubber ball. "Are you allowed to change at school?"  
  
"As long as no one sees me."  
  
Elsa walked away to change when she walked into a wall.  
  
She stepped back to see it wasn't a wall, but in fact a boy. Almost as tall as Rex, he had hard features and scruffy black hair; the general look of school bully.  
  
"What do you want Dan?" Elsa asked wearily.  
  
"Little Mike wants a word with you," the boy said gruffly, wishing more people would call him Big Dan.  
  
"Tell him to get stuffed."  
  
"He don't getting girls bossin' 'im around."  
  
"Tough," Elsa glared at him, "I don't like getting bossed around by boys. If this Little Mike is so upset about it all then he should come out here and face me himself!"  
  
Sam tapped her on the shoulder "Rex said I should stop you from fighting- "  
  
"I'm not going to fight anyone, I can handle this. Mother just smiles at them and they walk away, I know what I'm doing."  
  
"Little Mike does want to face you himself, he's here."  
  
Big Dan stepped aside to reveal a small boy.  
  
He was weasely and skinny, it had to be said, but he had that stony glare that demanded reverence from muscle headed idiots like Big Dan.  
  
"Hello Elsa, I hear you've been causing trouble and I don't like it- HEY! What's so funny?"  
  
Elsa was clutching her stomach and laughing fit to burst, tears were rolling down her face and she was falling to her knees.  
  
"Good. Gods. I'm SSSOOOO scared!" Elsa laughed, "You're. you're. so. TINY!"  
  
Little Mike glowered "Shut up!"  
  
Sam was rolling in fits of laughter too "Hey Little Mike. what're you gonna do? Kick me in the shins?!"  
  
Little Mike glared at Sam "Who are you Rich Kid? Haven't seen you around!"  
  
Sam stopped laughing abruptly.  
  
"Hey! Don't call me rich kid! The name's Vimes," he drew himself up "Sam Vimes, Junior."  
  
Little Mike raised an eyebrow "Am I supposed to be scared?"  
  
"He could beat you up in a second!" Elsa laughed.  
  
"Getting him to fight for you are you Elsa? To scared to fight me?"  
  
Elsa stared angrily at Little Mike, but she couldn't fight. She bit her lip and stepped back "No, I'm not afraid of you."  
  
"Then go on!"  
  
Elsa's fists shook, a small part of her, deep inside that small primal part of brain wanted so desperately to hit him hard, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't want to leave. didn't want everyone to know about her. or her mother. didn't want to kill someone.  
  
"Elsa, you don't have to prove yourself to them," whispered Sam.  
  
She took a deep breath.  
  
Turned away.  
  
And walked.  
  
Little Mike and Big Dan began to laugh.  
  
"Little girl! What are you going to do when you're in the Watch? Throw dolls at thieves and cry?"  
  
Elsa grit her teeth, which were, to her utter horror, beginning to lengthen.  
  
Walk away. walk away.  
  
"Prissy little girl!"  
  
She heard Sam run after her.  
  
"Elsa! Wait for me!"  
  
She shut her ears to the names, but Gods how she wanted to just.  
  
Tear their throats out.  
  
NO!  
  
She shut her eyes, tears were springing up in them and rolling down her face.  
  
"Bet you're mum's just as sissy as you are!"  
  
That made Elsa stop.  
  
"What?" Her voice dripped with primal anger.  
  
"You're mum's not so tough! She's just a little cry baby like you!"  
  
Elsa growled under her breath "Shut up or I'll make you regret that!"  
  
Little Mike smirked "Yeah? How?"  
  
"Elsa." Sam hissed.  
  
"I'll tear out your heart!" She screamed, "I'll stamp on it!"  
  
Little Mike's smirk remained "Oh really? I'd like to see you TRY! Sissy!"  
  
Elsa turned, her face full of anger. Little Mike and Big Dan stepped back in horror, her teeth looked slightly longer than normal, her eyes were a strange colour and she was growling. She ran towards them.  
  
"Call mother a sissy one more time and I'll-"  
  
"Elsa! That's enough!" Sam cried and grabbed her arms behind her back.  
  
"Let go of me!" She screamed struggling against his grasp, "LET GO!"  
  
"What's going on?!"  
  
The Head teacher came steaming out of her office, she saw Elsa's wild expression, Sam holding her back from fighting Big Dave and Little Sam and quickly ran to fetch Miss Sto Helit.  
  
  
  
Ten minutes later Elsa was sobbing in the waiting room of the Head office.  
  
Rex put his arm around his sister's shoulder and whispered "It's alright, it's okay."  
  
"I nearly killed him Rex!" She sobbed, "I nearly changed in front of everyone!"  
  
"No one saw you, you're okay."  
  
Sam sat beside her and said "You didn't hurt anyone, Little Mike was just trying to get you mad."  
  
"It nearly worked! I nearly." The rest was lost in a torrent of sobs.  
  
Miss Sto Helit entered and saw the three of them.  
  
She looked at Elsa's face and then at her brother and friend's.  
  
"Rex, Sam? Please will you step outside for a moment?" She said calmly.  
  
They did so, Rex giving his sister a departing hug and Sam patting her on the shoulder.  
  
When they were gone, Miss Sto Helit showed Elsa a chair and gave her a tissue. She kept a small supply in her pocket at all times.  
  
"Elsa, are you alright now?"  
  
"Yes," she sniffed, "I'm so sorry!"  
  
"It's okay," Susan said, "Michael and Daniel are being talked to right now, they both said they saw 'your face go funny'."  
  
Elsa's eyes widened in horror.  
  
"But no one believes them, I made sure of that."  
  
Elsa sniffed again, "I. get a little. angry sometimes."  
  
"I can see, what were they saying?"  
  
"Stuff." Elsa shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"Like?"  
  
"Saying. my mother's a sissy."  
  
"Oh," Susan sat down beside her.  
  
"I get really angry when people say stuff about mother," Elsa snivelled, "'cause she's really brave an' kind an' she does her job really well."  
  
Susan nodded "I know she does, she's an excellent Watchwoman and I know that for a fact."  
  
"Hmmm?" Elsa looked up at Susan.  
  
"I know about you two, I meet your mother in a place called Biers and we talked a little while ago about that temper of yours-"  
  
"I tried not to fight him Miss! I tried! But he got me so angry." Elsa started to cry again.  
  
"There there," Susan said, "I know."  
  
"Mother's so good at not being angry! She can be so calm and stuff, she's never lost her temper like that!"  
  
Susan remembered several incidences in Biers, Angua once had to deal with a fellow werewolf when he'd found out about her children. Gods Susan had never seen so much pent up rage! She looked as if she would explode. but Angua had simply grabbed the werewolf by the neck and said "I'm not a monster, I'll be calm about this, but do you know what happened to my brother when he tried to hurt me? I'm sure you do, so leave my children and me alone. Otherwise, I'll reconsider where to place that firework."  
  
Susan had spoken to her grandfather, she had heard about what happened with Wolfgang. Before Vimes got to him he had been pretty messed up.  
  
Angua knew when to lose her temper alright.  
  
  
  
"Elsa," Susan said, "I'll let you go home early, your father's on his way round-"  
  
Elsa gasped in terror, of all the people- She hated it when her father heard about these things. He did not get angry, he was always so. disappointed.  
  
"What about mother?"  
  
"She's not available, your father was. I'm sorry Elsa, but-"  
  
"No. I don't mind.I just want to go home."  
  
"Not a problem," Susan fished into her pocket and pulled out a chocolate, "hope you like nougat."  
  
Elsa smiled weakly and took the chocolate "Thank you Miss."  
  
  
  
  
  
Carrot eclipsed the door way and Elsa looked up at him.  
  
"Hello dad," she said quietly.  
  
He sighed and gave her the most disappointed look she had ever seen. It made her want to cry again, when Carrot was disappointed it made it seem so much worse. "Thank you Miss Sto Helit, I'll take her home. Any work she misses-" Carrot began.  
  
"I'll make sure she catches up tomorrow," Susan nodded at Elsa, "See you tomorrow then Elsa?"  
  
"Thank you miss."  
  
  
  
Elsa and Carrot walked back to the Watch house for a talk.  
  
She wished more than anything at the moment that she was.  
  
Human.  
  
  
  
To be continued..  
  
***Sorry it was a bit long, I got WWWAAAYYY carried away!*** 


	5. Easier said than done

Bad influence Part 5  
  
*** Ye GODS! What a lot of reviews! *ego swells* they love me! Sorry it took me so long folks, but I've had the dreaded EXAMS to deal with, so they have to take priority. Plus, how the hell I'm going to top the last chapter is utterly beyond me! But I'll try. If I fail, remember, YOU ASKED FOR IT! Hahahahaha! As per usual, this is Terry Pratchett's world not mine, etc, please don't sue, etc. ALL rightie then, *cracks knuckles* ON WITH THE SHOW! ***  
  
By Rozi aka Angua's #1 fan! *anyone else tries for the title I tear em up! Growl.*  
  
  
  
Carrot and Elsa walked in silence for what seemed like forever. Elsa couldn't bring herself to look up into her father's face, she knew what look he had; it would be the "I'm very disappointed" face. That face on Carrot made you feel truly low, the most caring and likeable man in the city was disappointed with you! It was terrible. Worse than being shouted at.  
  
  
  
They walked until they reached Brass Bridge. It was fairly deserted, as it was still the middle of the day, so Carrot stopped and Elsa nearly bumped into him.  
  
"Elsa?" Carrot looked down at his daughter.  
  
She finally gathered the guts now to look up at her father. He was wearing that face, the one she dreaded.  
  
She bit her lip and tried not to cry, she hated crying and it wouldn't help now anyway.  
  
"Elsa, I think this is a good spot to talk," Carrot continued and leant against the wall of the bridge "now, what happened at school Elsa?"  
  
She shifted uncomfortably, she couldn't lie to her father and besides he had probably got the whole story from Miss Sto Helit first. He just wanted to hear Elsa's side of the story.  
  
"Um." she trailed off.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Some boys. were saying stuff, you know. stuff. About me, 'bout."  
  
Carrot knelt down to at least attempt to see her at face height "About what?"  
  
"Um. stuff?"  
  
"Would you like to be a little more specific?"  
  
Elsa couldn't bear to look her father in the eye, his eyes were so honest and kind, but now they wanted to know something Elsa couldn't bare to tell him.  
  
But that was one of Carrot's many strong points; he could easily get the truth from someone by just looking at them. He was an expert at the "waiting game", he was good at interrogation, not because he asked questions, but because he would fill the place with quiet until the poor interrogated dupe would be forced to try and make up for the silence.  
  
Only Carrot could do this. Everyone else had to shout until they were blue.  
  
Elsa sighed and muttered something inaudible to the floor.  
  
"Sorry?" Carrot asked, not unkindly.  
  
"'Bout. mother."  
  
Carrot searched for Elsa's gaze, which had engaged in second-degree floor study.  
  
"What about her?"  
  
"Saying. saying she was. a."  
  
Carrot felt as if he was onto something, but he didn't show it.  
  
"A. sissy."  
  
Carrot blinked and looked at Elsa's face for a moment.  
  
Then he laughed.  
  
Elsa looked up sharply "Dad?"  
  
Carrot smiled at his daughter, "I'm sorry, that's. quite..." he coughed to try and get his breath back "Funny, I mean; since when has your mother been a sissy?"  
  
Elsa was lost "Never!"  
  
"Exactly!"  
  
Carrot lifted Elsa up easily and sat her on the wall on the bridge. It was easier to talk to her that way.  
  
"Elsa, have those boys that said those things ever met Angua?"  
  
Elsa raised an eyebrow "No."  
  
"Precisely! I'll bet they don't even know what she looks like! How would they know what she was like?"  
  
Elsa bit her lip "They. don't."  
  
"You knew what they were saying wasn't true, so why did you run at them?"  
  
Elsa shrugged "Cause I didn't like it."  
  
Carrot nodded "Hmm.well I can see it's hard to keep a temper when it concerns someone you care about."  
  
There was an edge of experience to his voice.  
  
"I didn't mean to change! I was just so ANGRY!"  
  
Elsa sniffed, it sounded like she was going to cry again, but she held her breath and blinked rapidly.  
  
"Mother wouldn't have got so angry like that, neither would you! You two are always in control and always know what you're doing!"  
  
"Are we?"  
  
Elsa looked at her father questioningly, the idea of Carrot losing his temper. it was like a volcano spewing lemonade! It was like Sam voluntarily wearing tights! It was. impossible!  
  
"No.? ."  
  
"Everyone loses their cool at one point or another. Nobody's perfect."  
  
Elsa tried to get her head around this concept and failed.  
  
"But. you've never. hurt anyone have you?"  
  
Carrot was silent for a while, and then he said, "Only under. shall we say. strenuous circumstances?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"When I felt that it was. necessary."  
  
"Like when?"  
  
Carrot clicked his tongue thoughtfully "Hopefully you'll never have to know."  
  
Elsa decided this line of enquiry was best left alone.  
  
Carrot sighed "But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try to keep your temper, everyone does lose it once in a while, but it takes a stro-"  
  
"-nger man to walk away from a fight than to join in," Elsa added, "I know, but it's easier to say it than to do it."  
  
Carrot shrugged "You are a strong willed little girl Elsa, you are also intelligent and you care. Any other werewolf would have not thought twice about tearing someone to pieces -I should know- you definitely got that from your mother. It's hard to, but try and. see things from their point of view."  
  
Elsa blinked at her father.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Those boys who said those things are probably just. unhappy, jealous or just wanted to see how you'd react to hurtful comments. You know better than to respond to them. Just try and see how they see things- feel sorry for them."  
  
"You mean 'walk in another man's shoes'?"  
  
Carrot frowned "Well.I'd consider that theft, but I think I can see what you mean."  
  
Elsa laughed.  
  
"I can't give you any better advice than to try and keep your temper from now on, you have been told that a million times by now I'd expect," Carrot said.  
  
"Yeah," Elsa replied.  
  
"The best thing you can do is to try and think of something else, there is always something worse to get angry about."  
  
She nodded.  
  
"Thanks Dad."  
  
"Your welcome."  
  
There was a long pause, Elsa and Carrot sat on the bridge for a long time saying nothing. Any moment Elsa wanted to bring up the subject of going back to school, but wasn't completely sure if this was the right moment.  
  
"Now. it's about one o'clock, you've still got about two hours of school left." Carrot trailed off.  
  
Elsa blinked and tried to make her eyes look as big as possible. She didn't have Rex's oh-so-delightfully-big-and-blue-eyes, but she sure as hell had puppy dog eyes. in a rather more literal sense.  
  
Carrot raised an eyebrow "Don't give me that look Elsa, your education is important."  
  
"Daaadddyyy?"  
  
On most occasions, Carrot was as steady as a rock; he was not easily wavered by a pair of cute eyes. but in these circumstances.  
  
"On one condition."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You finish any work that you missed on Saturday."  
  
Elsa drooped, but it was a compromise nonetheless.  
  
"Alright," she said in defeat, "thank you dad."  
  
Carrot stood up straight and said "I have to go on duty in about half an hour, I'll have to take you back to the Watch house."  
  
"Where's mother? I thought it was her shift today?" Elsa asked curiously.  
  
Carrot looked a bit worried for a moment, his brow wrinkled in concern and he said "I'm... not sure, but I'm sure it's. okay."  
  
"I'll talk to her tonight," Elsa jumped down and stood next to her father, "maybe she'll know about keeping temper?"  
  
"Hmm. yes, I'm sure. Now," Carrot crouched down, "do you want to be carried home?"  
  
Elsa stared for a moment in embarrassment "No! I'm five not a kid!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Besides." Elsa shifted her feet "I feel height sick when I sit on your shoulders! Plus I hit the ceiling all the time!"  
  
Carrot pulled a mock expression of hurt "What!? I can't be THAT tall!"  
  
Elsa smiled "You are dad, trust me!"  
  
Carrot rolled his eyes "Al-RIGHT! I won't carry you on my shoulders, but how about just by the arms hmm?"  
  
Elsa pouted in thought.  
  
"Will anyone see?"  
  
"No."  
  
She held her arms out.  
  
"Deal."  
  
*Isn't it cute? *  
  
Sam kicked a stone as he walked "How d'you think Elsa is?"  
  
Rex dug his hands into his pockets "I don't know, she seemed very upset," he replied considerately.  
  
"I would have beaten them up," said Sam, "but then Elsa would've been unhappy."  
  
"She doesn't like having other people fight her battles," Rex agreed.  
  
They both knew Elsa really well, they were a trio, a band and they had been together since they were even younger. Sam still had memories of Lady Sybil babysitting Rex and Elsa and he used to try and teach the two young babies (and occasional pup) how to fire a crossbow.  
  
"Can I come over to see her?" Asked Sam, "I just want to check she's okay!" He added hurriedly.  
  
"No problem," Rex smiled sincerely, "as long as your Dad lets you."  
  
"He will."  
  
School had long since been over, the teachers crawled back out from under their chairs in relief and the ancient bell in the teacher's guild tower hammered out three o'clock; the teacher's favourite hour.  
  
** I should know; my parents are teachers! **  
  
They strode home, both picking up the policemen's step that they had learned from their fathers.  
  
"Do you think we'll be watchmen when we grow up?" Sam asked thoughtfully.  
  
Rex nodded, he couldn't imagine being anything else.  
  
"D'you think I'd be commander of the watch?" Sam asked.  
  
"Hmmm, I would be captain like Dad," Rex's chest swelled with pride.  
  
"Elsa would be sergeant."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And we'd solve crimes an' stuff."  
  
"Yeah! And I'll learn that trick, y'know the one where dad throws his truncheon in the air and catches it," Sam said with a grin.  
  
Rex looked puzzled "Why?"  
  
Sam shrugged "Dunno, but Dad's a good copper and he does it all the time. Maybe you need to be able to do that."  
  
"Hmm, but my dad doesn't do that and he's a good copper."  
  
"Maybe it's just a Vimes thing then."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
They walked on in reflective silence.  
  
They came up to Peach Pie Street, along it were the various guild buildings such as the Alchemists and the Gamblers. They walked by the Alchemist's guild and quickly jumped back before the window blew out, sending a small alchemist out with it.  
  
"Business as usual Mr Brunswick?" Rex called out to the unfortunate alchemist.  
  
He lifted his head out of the rubble around him and removed his goggles, the black that covered his face left two white patches around his eyes.  
  
"Watcha young Rex!" He called out cheerfully, "Tell your dad to pick up them salts at about six tonight! She forgot last night."  
  
"Will do!"  
  
The alchemist got up, brushed himself off and dived back into the building.  
  
"You know him?" Asked Sam thoughtfully.  
  
"My Dad does, he sells us smelling salts," replied Rex as there was yet another explosion and another window blew out.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"For Mother."  
  
"Right."  
  
They stopped and Sam dug his hands into his pockets and said "Look there!"  
  
Rex turned and looked up.  
  
It was a bronze statue. The figure stood holding an axe by it's feet, he wore rough armour that vaguely resembled a Watchman's. He had a stern expression on his face that looked very familiar.  
  
"Wow," said Rex amazed, "it looks like Mr Vimes!"  
  
"It's my ancestor!" Said Sam proudly "That's ol' stone face Vimes, he cut off a king's head."  
  
Rex nodded "Dad took me on a walk round here and told me about it."  
  
"Cause he was evil Dad said," Sam swelled with pride, "and ol' stone face cut his head right off! With an axe, cause no one else would do it. Deserved it to!"  
  
"Why wouldn't anyone else do it?" Rex asked, looking intently at the statue's stern face. It seemed that the bronze visage was looking directly at him.  
  
"Cause he was the king and they were cowards, they wouldn't do it cause they were scared."  
  
"Why?" Rex continued to stare.  
  
"Cause the kings were important in those days."  
  
"But not anymore?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Rex shivered inwardly, without knowing why.  
  
"It looks just like Dad doesn't it?" Sam said leaning his head sideways.  
  
"Hmm."  
  
"You ok?"  
  
"What? Oh, yes, fine."  
  
They stared up at the statue for a long time, Rex turned to Sam "So, there are no more kings?"  
  
"Yep, they're all gone," Sam said firmly, "good thing to."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah, Kings do something strange to people, dad said, that people simply follow 'em cause they're the king. They got a natural leading thing and they don't care about what happens to the people that they lead."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"The last king was REALLY bad! He tortured people and there was this big war where old stone face fought those who wanted to keep the king and he won. He dragged him up in front of everyone and he cut off his head! They didn't like it though, the people I mean, and they then killed him afterwards."  
  
"Because they wanted the king back?" Rex asked.  
  
"Yeah, dunno why, he weren't a very good king. But that didn't matter to them, they still killed him. That's why my Dad don't like kings."  
  
"He doesn't?"  
  
"Nope, obvious why though."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Rex looked back up at the statue thoughtfully, he felt guilty for some reason. He felt that the stern stare was driving right into him and he felt responsible for something he couldn't quite define.  
  
"Rex.?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"You've gone pale!"  
  
He blinked and turned away, "Sorry, it's just."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I. it's nothing. Probably my imagination."  
  
  
  
"Captain!" Vimes cried quickly ran into Carrot as he entered the watch house.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
Carrot carefully put Elsa down and said "What's wrong?"  
  
"It's." Vimes was aware of Elsa's worried expression; she could probably smell his panic.  
  
"Elsa ought to go, she shouldn't see this," he said carefully.  
  
Carrot swallowed "What's going on sir?"  
  
"Elsa-" Vimes began.  
  
"I can smell something's wrong Mister Vimes, what's happened? Where's mother?!" Elsa cried, striding past Vimes.  
  
Carrot quickly caught her and lifted her up "Elsa, Mr Vimes is right, you shouldn't see this," he said firmly.  
  
"But father!"  
  
"Go to your room Elsa," Carrot lifted her down, and said "please."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Now."  
  
Carrot's stern tone was quite a shock to anyone, especially his children, but now it was needed.  
  
Elsa turned to go to her room.  
  
And darted away, following the smell of her mother.  
  
Carrot wasn't quick enough and neither was Vimes.  
  
  
  
Elsa followed the sent to the Watch's forensics department. Her dread at what was going on heightened; she pushed between various watchmen down to Igor's lab and sick room.  
  
Her mother's friend Cheery saw her; the dwarf had tears in her eyes "Elsa! What are you doing here?!" She cried.  
  
"Where's mother! Is she alright?!"  
  
"Go back upstairs-"  
  
"Mother!"  
  
  
  
Angua lay still on the slab in the sick room. Igor was bandaging a nasty wound on her arm; she had many cuts and bruises all over her body.  
  
"What happened?" Elsa sobbed.  
  
Igor turned to look at her, he swallowed "You'd better not thee this Elsa," he said carefully, "she's badly hurt."  
  
"But she CAN'T be hurt! It couldn't have been-"  
  
Silver?  
  
Elsa only noticed now that there was a bad burn on Angua's stomach. It was in the shape of a dagger.  
  
"Mother?"  
  
"Elsa!"  
  
She turned at the sound of her father's voice; he had entered the lab with a panicked look and found his daughter.  
  
"I told you to-"  
  
"It's silver father! IT'S SILVER!"  
  
"Elsa please go to your room," Carrot said calmly, "please. I won't ask you again."  
  
She looked tearfully at him and then at the unconscious form of her mother.  
  
"Elsa, you'd better go," said Vimes solemnly, "your mother needs to be alone for a while."  
  
  
  
Elsa was stubborn. Stubborn and determined.  
  
She waited outside the room with a careful ear pressed against the wall. Her werewolf hearing was not as good as normal, but it was good enough to hear through a wall.  
  
Perfectly.  
  
"Murder?" That was Carrot, "But how?"  
  
"The body was found by the river, it was Mr. D'mitre, a local entrepreneur. He was found. well all the pieces were found eventually," that was Vimes.  
  
"But you KNOW it couldn't have been Angua!"  
  
"I know lad, I know, but we found her nearby the river. Unconscious, with that damned burn in her stomach. It was a full moon last night-"  
  
"But Angua wouldn't-"  
  
"We know that, you know, I know, your children know, but when the city finds out about the circumstances they will want to know who to blame!"  
  
There was a long silence. Everyone knew what would happen, a suspicious and rather messy death, even for Ankh Morpork, would be reported.  
  
The word of an unconscious officer of the watch was found beside the body. She was notoriously feared around the city in a primal way that no one could define. In a minute the rumour would gather a crowd, wasn't there a WEREWOLF in the watch?! A messy death, watchman, no alibi and a reputation.  
  
It didn't take a genius to work out what could happen next.  
  
"But Angua has no motive to kill Mr D'mitre!" Carrot said.  
  
"How many people would be concerned with a motive?"  
  
"They don't know-"  
  
"But they'll find out Carrot."  
  
There was a long silence.  
  
"Who else could have done this?" Carrot asked, there was a terrible tone to his voice that no one had heard before.  
  
"We will start an investigation; I know Angua would have never done this. But I have a feeling that someone, or something, murdered Mr D'mitre and seriously hurt Sergeant Angua. They are trying to frame her for murder."  
  
"And they would know about her."  
  
"Yes."  
  
There was a long silence.  
  
"Sir, I will begin the investigation straight away," Carrot said.  
  
"No captain, I will. I won't put you through this-"  
  
"Sir, I can cope, you know very well I can."  
  
"It's your Gods damned wife!"  
  
"I'm not going to let personal get in the way."  
  
"What about your kids!"  
  
Elsa pressed her face against the wall and sobbed.  
  
They'll be run out of the city! They'll find out and she would have to leave!  
  
She knew her mother would never ever murder someone. She wasn't like that! Anyway, she was in control! She wouldn't kill a man for no reason!  
  
Elsa stamped away, her temper fraying. She shouldn't get angry, but she wanted to! She had a good reason! Her mother was accused of something she didn't do, it wasn't fair and Elsa wasn't going to just let it happen to her!  
  
Easier said than done.  
  
  
  
To be continued... 


	6. Murders Most Beastly

**Bad Influence- Chapter 6- Murders Most Beastly**

**Rozi******

** Ta da! The eagerly *yeah RIGHT!* awaited new chapter of Bad Influence! Man did it take me a while… the plot thickens™. So, sit back, relax, stock up on Dried Frog Pills, scumble and a little touch of DEATH, ladies, gentlemen, wizards, esteemed guild members, undead, dogs, rats, small bacteria, Corporal Nobbs and members of the Guild of Lawyers. I give you…. Chapter 6... Now I'm off to take my pills. ** 

Elsa sat outside the Watch house, Rex and Sam listened to her account of what she just heard.

Rex shook his head "Mother would never _kill someone!"_

"She wouldn't, but her wolf side might," said Elsa mournfully, "now we'll have to leave."

"But they can't arrest her for just being there! She was probably framed," Sam said loyally. 

Elsa nodded, "But as soon as other people find out, then…" She trailed off. 

Rex sighed, he understood, Sam bit his lip and said "Dad won't let anyone know and your Dad! They'll get to the bottom of this!"

"Yeah, this will be sorted out Elsa," Rex said earnestly "we know mother would never kill anybody!"

Elsa just hoped he was right.

Angua opened her eyes, her head hurt; her stomach ached and burned at the same time. She could barely think, she could hear voices, distorted voices which nonetheless sounded familiar. 

The world seemed dull. 

Dull to her senses, she couldn't think, couldn't breathe, couldn't- 

"Angua?"

"Huh?"

An arm propped her up, wiped back her tangled hair and pressed something thankfully cold against her forehead. She gasped and said dryly "Wa… drink…"

A glass of water was pressed to her lips and she sipped it carefully. 

"How're you feeling sergeant?" that sounded like Vimes. 

"Like a troll tap danced on my head and stuck silver cocktail sticks my nose," She replied croakily. 

She blinked and tried to focus, "I can't smell a bloody thing."

"What?"

That sounded like Carrot.

"I- can't- smell- anything!"

"How?"

"How the hell should I know? All I know is; my sense of smell is almost gone!"

Angua rubbed her eyes, "it feels like my nose is burnt out."

"Oh Gods…" Vimes lay a kind hand on her shoulder "Sergeant, how did this happen?"

"Sir, we should let her rest-"

"Carrot," Angua snapped and turned to Vimes "I can't remember sir."

There was a long silence.

"What?" Vimes said.

"I can't remember, nothing, all I remember is that I was attacked… and…. A smell of burning…then nothing."

Vimes buried his head in his hands and groaned.

"What happened last night?" Angua asked, noticing the looks on both of their faces. She wished more than ever that she could smell what was going on.

"Carrot? Mr Vimes?"

Vimes coughed and said "A man named Miles D'mitre was… attacked, he was found, well, eventually found… uh… torn to shreds, under Brass bridge by the side of the river."

Another long silence, Angua stared at the opposite wall, her eyes wide open and her mouth open.

"…Ye… Gods…" She muttered.

"Sergeant, we know you would never kill a man without a motive, but-" Vimes begun. 

"But if I _had a motive?"_

Carrot stared at her in horror. 

"What?!"

Angua hugged her knees and swallowed "I don't remember what happened, but I know I was on my way to see him."

"Angua, why would you want to kill him?!" Carrot cried.

"Please Carrot! Listen to me; I don't know what I did… I don't remember… they say when _it happens to a werewolf… you don't remember what you did."_

"Oh no…" Vimes muttered.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions!" Carrot said desperately.

"Let me explain please, D'mitre is- WAS a local Anti-Undead activist. I had heard in Biers that he was convinced that the rumours of werewolves in the Watch were true. He was heavily involved in illegal trades in all sorts of things, he had secret warehouses and things in the docks and he was going to blackmail the Watch by finding out who was the werewolf so that he could carry on his _dealings. At first I thought 'What possible harm could he do?' you had met him before Mr Vimes, a bigoted old fart I believe you once called him sir?" _

Vimes nodded, okay so he didn't like the undead that much either, but at least he didn't do stupid speeches in Sator Square and stick up posters.

"Anyway, he had contacted me before a message reached me two days ago. He said his kid would get Elsa to change in front of a crowd and then he would have his evidence."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Carrot said.

"I wanted to handle this by myself Carrot, I didn't want you and the children involved to. Imagine what would have happened if he found out if _you Carrot, of all people, were the father of werewolf children? Perfect excuse to run us __all out! I thought I could talk to him, __persuade him as it were. But on my way, I was attacked."_

"What by?" Asked Vimes.

"I don't know," Angua said coldly, "but it was… something I hated, I don't know how… it's… hard to explain… but I had an _instinct loathing of it. I don't know…."_

Carrot looked despondent; he stared at the floor and shook his head.

"Oh no…"

Angua shut her eyes and said "I don't know what to do…."

"As long as no one finds out," Vimes said, "we could-"

"They'll accuse you of cover up, special treatment for an officer of the Watch," Angua said grimly, "your job will be at risk to."

"They can't just make you leave your job just because you're a werewolf!" Vimes cried.

"No, but what about the mob?"

"The what?!"

"The one that almost always gathers for this kind of thing, the pitchfork and torch bearing variety," said Angua bitterly, a voice of experience.

"Mobs?! But this is _Ankh Morpork- oh… yes… I see," Vimes shook his head. _

Angua launched into a coughing fit, Carrot patted her on the back until she stopped. Vimes called out into the hallway "Igor! Get here now!"

The collage man shambled in hurriedly and reached into a cupboard for a jar of strange looking gloop.

"Igor what's-" Vimes began, as Igor watered it down.

"Its a little remedy I mixed up thur, it soothes the burning in her throat and nose."

"_Burning?!" Carrot cried. _

"I'm afraid so thur, it seems that who ever did this used a special silver nitrate gas."

Angua swallowed painfully "Is it permanent?" She asked "the burns I mean."

"Nope, luckily we got to them before they could cause any real damage to your lungs, mouth or nose."

"I felt burning… that would have been the silver. It can't have been very strong concentrate of silver otherwise… I would be dead."

"But you might not be quite a hundred per cent ever again, I'm thorry." 

Angua nodded.

There was a long silence as Angua tried to swallow the horrible stuff without gagging, Carrot kept his arm around her and Vimes respectfully looked away. 

"We'll… have to keep a lid on this until we can figure out what has happened, as Angua said, we don't need a mob right now. You sergeant get some rest, Carrot come with me-" Vimes hesitated.

"Its okay sir, he can go, I need some time to think any way."

It was quite some time later, outside the Watch house Nobby and Colon had been put on "dispel all rumours" duty, which basically meant "stand outside and keep the nosy bastards from coming into the Watch house". Nobby's favourite kick was particularly effective at doing this. 

"'ere Sarge, what d'you think's gonna happen about Miss Angua?" Nobby asked, taking a minute fag end from behind his ear. 

Colon shrugged "Dunno, but I feel sorry for her kids, imagine what would happen if they kicked her out of the city?"

"But, there are loadsa were-"

"Shussshh!" 

"Sorry, but there's a lotta 'em about in't there? I mean look at the shades, gotta be hundreds of the buggers hangin' around there."

The sergeant lowered his voice "Yeah, but none o' them are charged with violent murder."

Nobby bit his cigarette "Oh yeah, I forgot."

Colon shifted "Well, not yet at any rate."

Nobby gave him a look.

"Um, excuse me sergeant, corporal?" 

They turned to see the face of the man, in particular, that they were supposed to keep out.

"Ah, good evenin' to you, Mr De Worde."

Ankh Morpork's top reporter for the Times stood nervously, knowing that it was highly unlikely that he would be let in. 

But a good journalist had to be ready to persevere. 

Even though this could add up to the said correspondent becoming a dead journalist. 

He coughed "Uh… I would like to report on the alleged dead body of Mr Miles D'mitre that was found in- or rather _on* the river, and the rumours that one of your officers was found in," here he consulted his ever trustworthy notebook; "the tattered remains of their uniform and covered in blood."_

He gazed at the faces of Nobby and Colon, knowing that he could read their faces like the kind of open book that has big pictures and words no more than three letters long. 

Nobby growled "You'd better skedaddle Mr De Worde, unless you'll be wanting a kick in the nads, 'cos that information ain't any o' your bus'ness." 

William swallowed "Isn't this police brutality?"

"Not yet, but it _could be," the little corporal replied, with that gleam in his eye._

Mr De Worde took a step back and said "Look, I think the people have the right to know the truth, everyone's been talking about it ever since you discovered it this morning."

"But," said sergeant Colon stepping forward, "you should respect the privacy of our officers Mr De Worde, she's very badly traumatized-"

"_Sarge!" Hissed Nobby._

"Ah," Mr De Worde said, "so it's one of your female officers is it? Since you only have one or two, as far as I can tell, that would be sergeant Angua?"

Colon went into mental panic "Ur… No… Um…" 

"I'm not trying to invade _anyone's privacy; I just want to know what happened and who your suspects are."_

"Um…"

"I won't mention any names."

"Ur… We ain't divulging any information Mr De Worde."

"But surely sergeant, Angua is a suspect? She was found in very suspicious circumstances."

Colon had gone red; Nobby was burying his face in his hands in despair. 

"Ur… We ain't tellin' you anything," he said desperately.

"So you're covering up what happened to protect one of your officers? Isn't that a little unfair and, if you don't mind me saying so, a little hypocritical?"

Colon was not sure what that meant.

"Um… bugger off," he said weakly. 

"I think I ought to talk to a senior officer, is Captain Carrot around?"

"No," said a menacing voice from behind the panicking sergeant, "but I am."

De Worde cursed inwardly as Commander Vimes stood between Colon and Nobby. He has that look, William thought, but he can't scare me like this…

"If you want the truth so badly Mr De Worde, I am quite happy to talk to you. Step inside."

De Worde swallowed, Oh Gods…

"Uh… right then."

He walked into the Watch house behind Vimes; like a condemned man to the gallows and it didn't help to have Nobby cruelly hummed the funeral march as he walked.

"Prying bugger," Nobby muttered, "never thinks 'bout the kids involved."

Colon removed his helmet and wiped his brow "I don't think he knows Nobby."

"He might 'ave done if he'd talked to you a little more," Nobby said unkindly.

"I panicked!"

"Yeah," Nobby lit his cigarette "I can see that."

Mr De Worde tried to ignore the gazes of the Watch men as he walked past. They reached Vimes' office and De Worde stepped in after Vimes. 

The door closed with an ominous and strangely _terminal air. _

"Right," Vimes sat on the edge of his desk and took a cigar out of his pocket "please can you explain to me why you think the privacy of one of my officers should be splashed over the front page of the times."

"But… if she is a murder suspect-"

"Why do you think she is a murder suspect De Worde? She was found next to the body, I'd expect you know that, but that does not mean she is a suspect."

"But surely she witnessed it?"

Vimes' face was blank, he said nothing.

"Ah," De Worde said "she couldn't remember? Or something like that."

Vimes struck a match and lit his cigar.

"You're very sharp De Worde," Vimes said forebodingly, "so sharp you'd probably cut yourself."

De Worde felt as if the room was shrinking.

"So," William began, "the rumour was that Mr D'mitre's murder was rather messy, like he had been torn apart by a wild animal."

"And?"

"Well… that's rather unusual don't you think?"

"I don't know, there are some pretty nasty people in Ankh Morpork," Vimes said, mentally wincing at the memories of all the fights he had got into with the aforementioned pretty nasty people. 

"But no man, nasty or not, would have been able to rip someone up like that with his just his bare hands?"

"Maybe."

"But… those reports about a werewolf in the Watch…"

Vimes glared at him; there wasn't any point though because the penny had dropped long ago. William was clever, sharp and good at putting two and two together and getting a little more than four. 

"Ah… I… uh… see," William said.

Vimes nodded "You going to put that in your paper?"

"Well… it is relevant to the story I should think."

"Yes, but what about her kids?"

There was a pause.

"…Kids?"

"Yes."

William looked at the floor in embarrassment "I had no ide-"

"You had no idea? Well, now there's a turn up for the books! William De Worde didn't know something!"

De Worde looked hurt and put his note book away "But she's still a suspect in the murder case Mr Vimes and Ankh Morpork wants to know what's happening! Especially when a potentially dangerous individual is still at large-"

Vimes blew out a smoke ring with a dangerously calm air "Mr De Worde, she is not at large; she is in a rather critical condition in our medical room."

"Oh… I'm terribly sorry…" William had a feeling he wasn't going to see the next edition of The Times. 

"Whoever, or whatever, attacked Mr D'mitre used a silver nitrate bomb. It could have killed her if we hadn't got to her in time. It also did some pretty physical damage to," Vimes added.

"But doesn't silver _kill a werewolf?"_

"Yes, like I said, she was lucky that we got to her before it did, but it did her lungs in a treat and her nose may never be quite the same again."

William nodded "Hmm… Right… Are they okay? The children I mean."

Vimes sniffed "Mr De Worde, their mother has been seriously hurt, possibly permanently and they have to face the prospect of having to flee from the angry mob."

"What angry mo-"

"The one that will gather together to kill both the sergeant and her daughter once you print all that we have discussed, so how do you think they feel?" Vimes said angrily. 

William knew Vimes was right, when most Ankh Morpork citizens found that there was not just one, but a whole group to blame then that usually meant a mass hunt for the aforementioned group.

"I… didn't know… I'm terribly sorry."

"But you'll still going to publish it."

De Worde looked at the floor "I… won't mention names…"

"You won't need to."

"But I _have to say __something!"_

"Why?! Is the truth always so damn important?!"

William stepped back from Vimes' rising wrath "I'll think of something… please, Mr Vimes-"

"She has a family Mr De Worde! Does this not matter to you?!"

"Yes Mr Vimes it _does but-"_

"Then don't you dare publish anything! I doubt that neither Angua nor her kids will be too kindly disposed towards you..."

Nor me, Vimes added mentally, why the bloody hell did I just tell him?

Vimes stood close to De Worde and glared "And neither will I and believe me, you won't like to piss me off."

De Worde knew alright.

Vimes let him go and he staggered back, "I'll…be going…then," he said darkly.

"Good."

"Tell sergeant Angua I send my regards."

He quickly left before he could see Vimes' face.

Sam said he would stay over; Elsa wanted to sleep in wolf shape so she could sleep in her basket. 

Nobody complained.

Rex was going to be kicking in his sleep anyway; he always did when he had something on his mind. So did she, according to her father. 

Carrot wasn't sleeping well; she laid her muzzle over the side the basket and saw his eyes move in his sleep.

She knew she had made matters worse today, Little Mike would tell people and they would believe him. Then they'd make the connections and… 

She got up, trotted to the door and clawed it open. She quietly made her way down the corridor to the stairs; there was still the buzz of activity in the Watch house so she sneaked in between peoples feet and carefully avoiding being kicked. 

She followed her mother's scent to the medical room; she poked her head around the door and saw Igor, Cheri and her mother, who lay on the bed and was breathing awkwardly. 

Cheri sighed "Igor, I'll stay over here tonight and keep an eye on her."

"But she said she wanted to be left alone, she sent Carrot away earlier," Igor pointed out.

Cheri looked down at her feet "Yes…"

Igor nodded "I think you should stay, you are her friend."

Cheri smiled "She's asleep, she won't know."

"Yes she will."

They turned; Angua shifted and turned over "Please, go away. I can't sleep with you both there."

Cheri winced, "Um… sorry Angua we just-"

"Leave me alone."

The dwarf and Igor departed awkwardly, not noticing Elsa crouching behind the door. 

She slunk in, careful to stay out of her mother's expert field of vision, but it seemed to her that she wasn't even paying attention. 

"Mother?" She whimpered.

No reply.

She leapt over to the bed, leapt up and crawled under her arm. Still her mother did not say anything or even move. 

"Mother?" Elsa looked at Angua's despondent face "What's the matter?"

"Go back to bed Elsa," was all that Angua said.

Elsa lay down and shut her eyes "I… have to tell you something."

No reply.

"Um… I'm really sorry mother… it's my fault…"

"I heard what happened at school today Elsa."

Elsa looked up, "Oh…"

Angua still didn't move.

"Mother? ... It was Mr D'mitre's son wasn't it?" Elsa said.

"Yes."

"He knows about me."

"Yes."

"And now…"

Elsa pressed her nose against her mother's hand "I'm so sorry! We'll have to go because of me!"

Angua still didn't move, "Go to bed Elsa," she said icily.

"Mother…"

"Now."

The little pup jumped down from the bed, looking back only for a moment and walked quickly away.

To be continued

*** ARGGGGHHHH! It's _horrible! I'm written such garbage… *smacks head hard* Ho well, at least it's actually done. Now to catch up on Sibling Rivalry… *groan* See y'all later folks! *** _

* The river Ankh, as many people who are reading this will know, it hard enough to skateboard across, if it wasn't so knobbly. 


	7. Completely Legit, sir

**Bad Influence- Chapter 7**

**Perfectly legit, sir**

_Rozi_

** Well, another suitcase in another hall, take your picture of another wall… er… I'll stop with the Evita references. Right then, it's all going DARK… did Angua really go Wolfgang? Or is something else going on? *Twilight Zone theme* Do do do do do do… *hits her head on the wall* Sorry peeps! I'm going slightly mad… I'm going slightly mad… it finally happened- *gets dragged away to have her pills administered* **

** You'd thought you'd heard the last of me?! Well, I'm back! WMHAHAHAHAH!!!!! It's about bloody time I updated right? I have had a bunch of college work to do and I am going to finish this fic if it kills me! I don't care if people don't read it; I am GOING TO FINISH IT SOME HOW!!!!... Hah. **

School had become hard for Elsa, it had been two days since they had first brought her mother in and her father felt that this was no excuse to skip school. Rex had to agree, but even he looked slightly withdrawn in the lessons. 

Both of them had watch their mother steadily worsen, she got her sense of smell back and Igor said her lungs were healing, but she had not come out for the medical cell for the last two days, their father had visited her, but she refused to see him. She was barely eating, she just wanted drinks of water to soothe the scratching coughing fits she launched into on a regular basis.

Elsa stared blankly ahead and thought 'This is probably the last time I'll see the school, last time I'll sleep in my bed tonight.'

She turned to see Sam was looking at her, he smiled brightly and mouthed "You okay?"

She nodded, though quiet plainly she wasn't. 

She looked over at Rex; he looked so solemn and distant. He was writing and working, but he did not seem to be really concentrating.  

Elsa thought of her dad, he had tried to make every thing look like business as usual, but even he was feeling the strain. Bags were forming under his eyes and both of them knew he wasn't sleeping. 

Mr Vimes was very helpful, he was really trying to help out on the case and he had stayed at the murder scene all night looking for clues. Carrot had always said that Vimes was a great man and she was beginning to believe him. 

That man from the Times had published an article about a suspicious murder, but it had largely gone unnoticed so far, but that was because Mr De Worde had put that the Watch had little or no information on the murder but they had arrested a suspect 'who was to be named at a later date'. He had also put the story on the middle pages of his paper rather than on the front page. That should keep the lid on things for a while, but soon people were going to catch on. It wouldn't be long, Elsa knew it.  

She heard a silence descend onto the room, and realised that they class was looking at her, she glared back.

"Miss Elsa, are you planning to answer the question?"

Miss Sto Helit stood over her with an unreadable expression. 

Elsa looked up with an icy stare in her eyes; Susan's expression did not change.

"Well?" She said.

"I wasn't listening Miss," Elsa said coldly.

Susan shook her head "I guessed as much, you are to stay after class."

Not a muscle, not a flicker on Elsa's face suggested that she cared. 

Rex turned round and tried to catch Elsa's eyes, Sam did the same, but she bowed her head to the floor.

A few whispers bubbled up from the classroom behind her, from several directions, but they quickly subsided when met with the heavy gazes of Rex and Sam.

"Settle down, we could do without that," said Susan calmly, "now, does anyone know the answer to the question?"

School dragged on for what seemed like far too long for Rex, Elsa and Sam. Elsa stayed in the classroom for the whole day it seemed, Rex and Sam waited patiently outside the classroom for her at the end of the day. 

"Your dad won't be happy," said Sam.

"I know, neither will yours," Rex replied.

They leant against the wall in silence, Sam coughed "Um… Rex…"

"Yes?"

"Does Elsa _really_ have to go if… you know…_it_ happened?"

Rex didn't reply for a while, he seemed to be concentrating at the floor for a moment in deep thought and then said "Dad wouldn't want them to go."

"Would he stop them?"

"I… think so…"

They stood in silence once again both hoping Rex was right.

Susan sat at her desk and tried to meet Elsa's gaze, but it was fixed to the floor. Susan had to be the first to admit she was not always the best person to comfort a depressed child, but she had done it before with some success. She waited for someone to speak.

Unfortunately it turned out to be her.

"Elsa, are you going to talk to me?" Asked Susan.

"No."

There was another pause. 

'She's doing what Dad does, the silent treatment,' thought Elsa, 'except…'

Except Susan's silences some how emphasised that _time was passing, lots of it.  She could hear the loud tick of a clock._

 "Um…" Elsa began.

"Yes?"

"I… mother…she's…"

Susan nodded "I heard, your mother is not doing terribly well and rumours are beginning to spread."

Elsa didn't say anything.

"I want to help," Susan reached into her desk draw and pulled out a tiny hour glass, "I think there's a way that you can at least gather evidence for your mother's case."

'Guilty or innocent,' Susan added mentally. 

Now Elsa looked up "Really?"

"I want you to go to Treacle Mine road, get there for precisely… five o'clock… you'll meet someone who will assist you. Ask him about the murder. If you can persuade him, tell him Susan sent you and get your brother to ask the questions."

Elsa leaned forward "You know someone who was _there?!"_

"Oh yes,"

"Why?"

"It's his job to be there."

Elsa burst out of the classroom, followed by an astonished Rex and Sam who had to run to keep up. 

"Elsa!" Sam cried when he finally caught up, "What's the matter? Where're you-"

She didn't answer and carried on going.

"Elsa," Rex ran up stood in front of her, "What's going on?"

She stopped and tried to push past them without success.

"We've got to get to Treacle Mine road!" She snapped, "Come on!"

"But Dad's probably worried-" Rex began.

"I don't CARE! This is important! It could help mother, you have to come with me!" Elsa tugged at Rex's sleeve angrily "Rex!"

He stared at her, something like disbelief in his eyes, but he could see his sister's desperate expression. 

"Elsa… I want to help mother to, but-" he begun.

"Then move! Miss Sto Helit said we'd meet someone who could help us! Please Rex, I need you to help, you're important to this!"

He looked to Sam, who shrugged and then back to Elsa. "Why do you need me?"

"You're good with people," said Elsa irritably "come ON!"

Angua felt better, she wanted to get up, but when she tried, either her legs would buckle under her or Cheery would insist she had to return to bed. Her head still pounded, but she was beginning to get things into focus faster now. 

She couldn't remember anything still, that worried her more and more. She could feel the wolf stir excitedly at the possibility it had made a kill. 

All that blood, that chase, the sound of screaming and the flash of pearl white teeth-

She shut her eyes and tried to shut it out, but it was no good, it came back in a shriek of brutish rage. 

Yet…

She had a feeling, just a feeling, that she _didn't do it! She had a motive true enough, but what good would it have done her if she had carried it out? None, she and her daughter would have been run out, she would lose the love and respect of her son and husband-_

But what would that matter to a monster? They don't care who they kill or the consequences. A monster kills for the fun of it, for the sheer joy of spilling living blood. 

Wolfgang's probably laughing at me, she thought, he always said that it would happen to me one day. 

Gods, what if she turned when Carrot or Rex had been near?! They were human; they were perfect targets for a werewolf- NO! 

Rex…. Her _son_, her child, her baby! Even a wild werewolf knows not to kill their own children, but… it didn't matter to my mother did it? She let Wolfgang kill Elsa without a second thought. But I'm different! I love my children, I would never _ever even think of __killing them! I wouldn't…_

But… if I didn't… then who did? Who else could it have been? Who else was there? Apart from me… she tried to think back to that night… there was me, D'mitre and… someone else! They set off the silver nitrate, they were the ones who beat her nearly to death, and they killed D'mitre! 

Another werewolf perhaps? No, that wasn't right, what about the silver? They wouldn't have survived, or at least wouldn't have been able to get away so quickly. So what else could it have been? A man? Well, the silver gas would have got them to; it would have suffocated them to, unless they were skilled alchemists or something and knew what they were doing. But they wouldn't have been able to account for the attack… what had happened? She was on her way; she had passed the bridge, and then bumped into someone… It was dark, but she was able to- No, she couldn't remember their scent, they must have had one, but she couldn't define it, but they had walked straight past her anyway. Then she fell forward and there was a sound of breaking glass and then burning… oh Gods, that burning smell, then the burning air, like being trapped in a fire. The air heavy and boring into your lungs, your eyes, your skin all on fire! She felt the wolf scream and wriggle, like a wounded animal and she tried to think rationally through the burning… That shadow, who ever it was, they had something to do with it. They must have had a scent, but she couldn't remember! All she could smell was burning and her own pain… but… something came back to her slowly…. Like a new fragment of the picture, a clue, fitted somewhere. 

Lavender, she liked that smell, it was sweet and comforting. She felt her eyelids ache and she begun to fall asleep again. She hadn't been so tired in her life! Not since when she was expecting the twins, that had drained every scrap of energy right out of her. She had never wanted to get up, she had just wanted to sleep… to sleep…

A noise and commotion upstairs caused her eyes to snap open; she could hear loud, angry voices. 

Rex, Elsa and Sam screeched to a halt outside the entrance to Treacle Mine Road, Elsa looked around and stepped in saying "Hello? Is anyone-"

Rex winced and Sam's face drained of all colour. Elsa looked down and saw it. 

She had never been a fan of cats, obviously, but looking down on the pathetic discovery even her inner puppy felt a little pang. A small, dirty cat with mattered black fur lay still on the cobbles, breathing awkwardly. 

"A dead cat," said Sam unimpressed, "what good's that going to do?"

"It's not dead," said Elsa, "but it's dying, it doesn't make sense…"

AHEM.

They turned; a tall robed figure was coughing politely.

IF YOU WOULD EXCUSE ME? I HAVE A RATHER PRESSING CALL OF DUTY.

They watched him pass them silently and keel down beside the dying cat, there was a flash of blue and the cat breathed no more. 

I _TOLD_ HIM THAT HE ONLY HAD ONE LIFE LEFT, BUT HE NEVER LISTENED, the figure said with a hint of annoyance, TYPICAL. NEVER WAS GOOD AT LOOKING WHERE HE WAS GOING.

The children stared in amazement.

"Um… excuse me?" Elsa managed "Who are you?"

It turned and said WHO DO I LOOK LIKE?

They mulled this over for a while and Rex said "Death?"

WELL DONE…REX IRONFOUNDERSSON, YOU ALWAYS WAS AS SHARP AS YOUR DAD, PITY REALLY CONSIDERING… OH, SHOULDN'T HAVE TOLD YOU THAT… SORRY.

"It's okay," said Rex, "we were just wondering… do you know someone called Susan? Susan Sto Helit?"

Death thought for a moment and said YES, WHY DO YOU ASK?

"She said that you could help us with our enquiries," said Rex, sounding oddly familiar to Death.

AH YES, SHE TOLD ME TO EXPECT YOU, YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE MURDER OF MR D'mitre, aM i RIGHT?

"Yes, do you have anything that may help us?"

Death pondered for a brief moment and said I MIGHT DO, BUT I DON'T THINK I SHOULD TELL YOU, IT WON'T GO DOWN TO WELL.

"Why not?"

WELL… IT JUST… WOULDN'T… LOOK I'M VERY BUSY AT THE MOMENT… WELL ALWAYS BUSY, BUT THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT-

"It will not take too long, you just have to answer a few questions and you can go about your business."

Death pondered for a bit and finally said VERY WELL, BUT I HAVEN'T GOT ALL DAY. IF THE NATURE OF CAUSALITY GETS MESSED I'LL KNOW WHO TO BLAME.

"Thank you, ok, first thing can I ask you about the night of the murder of one Mr D'mitre?" Rex produced a notebook from his back pocket and a small pencil. 

Death leaned on his scythe WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHO THE MURDERER WAS, I OBVIOUSLY DEAL WITH THE AFTER RATHER THAN CASUES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THIS; IT WASN'T A WEREWOLF THAT KILLED HIM.

Rex nodded "Can you give us a theory at least as to what did?"

A LARGE WILD ANIMAL IS THE BEST I CAN DO, SORRY.

"Hmm, thank you, can you tell me what makes you think it wasn't a werewolf?"

FOR A START, A WEREWOLF WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STAND UP LET ALONE TEAR A FULLY GROWN MAN TO PIECES IN THAT MIST OF SILVER DIOXIDE THAT WAS WAFTING ABOUT.

"Oh Gods!" Elsa gasped.

YOUR MOTHER WAS EXCEPTIONALLY LUCKY I WOULD HAVE TO SAY YOUNG ELSA, TOO LUCKY IF I WAS HONEST. ANY WAY, YOUR MOTHER WAS LONG UNCOSCIOUS WHEN I GOT THERE, AND IT WASN'T D'MITRE'S BLOOD ON HER HANDS EITHER.

"Whose was it then?"

NO IDEA, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN HER ATTACKERS. OR HER'S. IS THAT ALL? I HAVE SAID A LOT ALREADY.

"Just a few more things if you please," Rex turned a page on his note book, "Where did the burn mark on Sgt. Angua's stomach come from?"

Death pondered this for a while, THAT WAS D'MITRE'S KNIFE I ASSUME, BUT HE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO ATTACK HER BEFORE WHATEVER GOT HER, GOT HIM. BUT WHAT SURPRISES ME IS THAT WHY THE ATTACKER KILLED D'MITRE AND NOT ANGUA.

"That is puzzling."

YES. CAN I GO?

"Yes, just one more thing," Rex shut the book and looked up at Death, straight into his skull, his deep blue eyes not moving from the blue dots that occupied Death's limitless black sockets "Why did my mother survive the attack? Only just I'll admit, but she survived, though I am grateful for this I want to know why and how."

Death looked back at the boy and shrugged BEATS ME KID; PERHAPS THE ATTACKER _WANTED_ ANGUA TO SURVIVE?

"Ah, yes that would make sense I suppose, why it does will need further investigation I think."

NOW CAN I GO? I HAVE A LOT OF APPOINTMENTS YOU KNOW, BOOKED UP FROM HERE TO ETERNITY WHAT WITH A PLAGUE IN GENUA AND A SHIP WRECK IN THE CIRCLE SEA.

"I understand and I am very grateful for your helpful assistance Mr Death, you may go."

YOU'RE WELCOME, GOOD LUCK BY THE WAY, AND TELL SUSAN NOT TO MAKE A HABIT OF SENDING KIDS TO ASK ME QUESTIONS.

"I will and thanks again."

With that, Death was gone.

"Rex!" Said Sam in amazement, "You just questioned Death!"

The boy nodded brightly "That was most helpful, what a nice… err… anthropomorphic personification!"

Elsa, even in the midst of rising hope met Sam's astounded stare "If you weren't related to him you wouldn't believe it."

The atmosphere at the Watch house was tense, Vimes sat at his desk staring at the two day old copy of the Ankh Morpork Times, well at least the irritating little bastard knew when to keep his mouth shut, he thought, but that's because he's found a way of not lying without telling the truth. That will only get you so far, soon you're going to have questions you can't dance around. I'm going to be answerable to them.

"What a mess," he muttered, "what a bloody mess."

He thought about Carrot, he definitely looked worse for wear, but as usual he was getting on with things. What the bloody hell was wrong with him?! His wife, his gods damned WIFE, was slipping in and out of a barely stable state, his daughter could be taken away from him and on top of everything else he could be blamed for some of it! He knew that a werewolf was in the Watch and had known for some time, but not only had he not cared he had married her! And they'd had kids! What about the whole-

Ye Gods, the King business; it always came down to that in the end didn't it? Carrot's the King, it's as plain as the nose on your face but he has been so happy all of this time being a watchman. What those royalist bastards suddenly found out about Rex and Elsa? Rex, he could easily be a new heir to the throne, he probably had that birthmark for all he knew, but he not only had a twin sister who was a werewolf, but he must have werewolf blood as well. A king with werewolf blood? That was going to upset things. The royalist will be up in arms, "We can't have werewolves on the throne and we can't allow him to get away with tainting the royal blood line!"

Maybe this was far fetched, it sounded like it! No one was that stupid or that crazy… Vimes' hand went up to his eye, or rather the patch where his eye had been, and he winced. There were people who were that crazy. He should know. Crazy enough to murder innocent people and, with the fresh blood still on their hands, still claim that they were innocent.

Crazy enough to kill two young children and their mother for the good of Ankh Morpork's state security. Vimes felt like screaming, Gods how he would like to just get a crossbow and line them up and-

His hand was on the drawer before he realised it, no, that was a stupid thing to do. I haven't had a drink for over ten years and I'm not going to start now. He was going to… do something. Get on with it. 

Try not to think about it and get on with it. That was his job. No amount of royalist nutcases and bloodthirsty murderers was going to stop him. 

He leant back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. For the first time in his life he was beginning to see what Carrot was doing, he was doing what Vimes wanted to do; only he was very good at it. He could get on with his job because, as per usual, personal wasn't the same as important. 

But when it concerned your family? Who knows?

Vimes' chair thumped back down to the floor when he heard a sound of a door slamming open and a commotion. He could watchmen shouting and yelling and the sound of a woman, full of her own importance coupled by grief, calling to see the commander of the Watch to see her this instant.

He got up and walked quickly out to the commotion. When he got there he was confronted by possibly the worst thing next down from an angry mob.

"Ah, Mrs D'mitre I assume."

Mrs D'mitre, the fifth one Vimes remember, or possibly the sixth, was very young. Or at least looked it, she wore the heights of Ankh Morpork fashion, thick gold jewellery and a plaster of make up. He found her irritating most of the time, she also seemed to be in a constant state of pregnancy, Vimes could swear that he hadn't seen her not pregnant for quite sometime. She wasn't this time however. She looked a positive state of misery, complete with running mascara and pouting lip. (I hope non-Brits don't find this insulting. I am basing her on just about every British TV celebrity ever in existence. Because they monumentally piss me off. It's nothing personal! Well, perhaps it is.)

"Mr Vimes!" She shouted loud enough for everyone to hear "My husband is dead! I want the… _thing_… what killed him! I want justice!"

Vimes resisted the urge to say 'I think justice was served ma'am, if I ever found out who killed that bastard I'll pat them on the back before punching their lights out for what they did to Sgt Angua.'

"We are working on it, but we won't find out who did it over night so if you'll just-"

"You have the killer right under your nose, she's down in the cells right now and your treating her! We ought to string her up right now!"

Vimes' face said nothing. 

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard," spat Mrs D'mitre nastily, "that Sgt Angua's a bloody werewolf! We all know it and she killed my husband!"

Vimes still remained blank "I'm sorry, but I am going to have to ask you to leave."

"You're treating her special cause she's an officer! That's not justice!"

Vimes took a deep breath "When we find the killer we will take him, or her, to a court of law and try them fairly."

"They don't deserve no fair trail! They ought to be strung up-"

"Excuse me ma'am," a voice purred from behind her, "Mr Vimes, we wish to speak to you on the trial of Sgt Angua."

Vimes' momentary confusion was answered by the face connected to the voice. It was a very tall woman (almost as tall as Carrot!), strongly built with heavy, sandy bronzed skin and deep green eyes. He breathed in a wave of over-powering flowery perfume. 

"My name is Zara Modagambi; I am representing her as a legal advisor in the trial of her husband's murderer."

Vimes stared up her and his eyes narrowed; a bloody lawyer! That's all he needed.

"Guild member?" He asked.

"Yes Mr Vimes," she said, her voice was deep and alluring "I hope we can settle this peacefully, but as you can imagine, my client is very upset." 

"Listen, I'll admit that there is a huge amount of circumstantial evidence against the Sergeant, but that's no reason for-"

"Which is why my client and I want a fair trial," Zara opened a bag full of papers "My client wants to see her husband's killer tried justly and legally. Is that not fair Mr Vimes? Or is it Sir Samuel?"

"Mr Vimes," said Vimes dismissively, "Listen, Angua is not well, she has had a bad attack and-"

"Mr Vimes, I want to have fair trial."

Vimes turned, Angua was limping up the stairs, she wore a loose fitting white shirt, her face was sullen and her hair hung from her like rat's tails. She looked such a state that he almost wanted to cry. He ran forward to help her up, but she limped away and confronted Mrs D'mitre. 

"I'm sorry for you're husband, but I did not kill him," she said, quietly, harshly, "please believe me."

Mrs D'mitre's face screwed up in fury and, pulling her hand back, slapped Angua plain across the cheek. 

The whole place fell silent, no one spoke, no a sound not even a breath was drawn in the ringing silence that followed. Angua's face remained turned; a red, raw mark glowed on her cheek. Vimes swallowed. Oh Gods, Oh Gods, He thought, Angua's going to-

No one wanted to expect it, but everyone knew what was coming. 

Angua turned in a flurry of mattered hair both hands clutched at Mrs D'mitre's throat before anyone could stop her.

"How _dare_ you!" Angua rasped "I spent my _life_ trying not to turn into a raging beast, not to kill people like you with my bare hands, and I could! Make no mistake I could tear you _apart! But _Gods_, I'm not going to! But I sometimes wonder why I even _bother_!"_

Vimes grabbed Angua around the shoulders and pulled her away, even in her fragile state she was terribly strong, angry tears ran from her eyes and down her cheeks. Other watchmen tried to restrain her.

Gods I wish Carrot was here! Where the hell is he?! Vimes' thoughts were whirled away in a flurry of angry arms as Angua struggled to get free. He tried calling her name several times "Angua! Angua! STOP!"

Then, she stopped. 

Angua's face, streaked with tears, looked up into Vimes' face. Vimes felt that pang again, he had never seen such a pitiful sight, she looked three days away from Hell and now she had nearly, _nearly killed someone! Horror stretched over Angua's face, she shook herself free and ran downstairs. _

"Oh Gods," he muttered.

Mrs D'mitre coughed and coughed, struggling to her feet and she pointed a finger at Vimes "How could you even breath the same air as that… that… monster! She nearly killed me! She's a Gods-damned werewolf and you know it!"

Vimes breathed rapidly "You'll have your trial! I hope you're happy Mrs D'mitre, I do! Because what you're about to do is break up a family just so that your husband's bigoted opinions can live on!"

"Now now Commander," said Zara calmly, "let's not get irrational, we shall schedule the trial for… oh… next week? Should give you enough time to find the sergeant some legal representation and gather a… ha… case? I will speak to you another time. Come Mrs D'mitre."

Before the two women swept out of the room Mrs D'mitre spun round and spat "I hope she hangs!"

The door slammed behind them.

"I'm sorry Captain," Vimes leaned against his desk "Gods you don't know how sorry I am."

Rex and Elsa had been told to wait outside, but Elsa could hear everything anyway. Sam patted her sympathetically on the back as Rex hugged her tightly.

"A trial?" Said Carrot eventually, "It's only fair, we will do it properly. Legally."

"Captain, call me insensitive, but how can you be so damned calm?!" Vimes' sudden outburst made the children jump "How are you going to help by being legal? We have to do something drastic otherwise you lose your child! And your wife!"

"No sir, if I gamble Elsa and Angua on breaking the law then they undermine my case and take them away without hearing another word. I could never forgive myself sir; I love them to much for that."

"How are you going to get them out of this? You're going to have to be dishonest, you have to lie about Angua, if those courts find out she's a werewolf then we're bloody done for!"

"It doesn't have to come to that sir, I'll find a way."

"Captain I know this has been stressful for you, but please think about this-"

"I am, I will, I'll need some time, but I know the laws sir and I'll construct a case some how."

There was a painful silence, Vimes sighed "All right Captain, I'd better give you time off, you'll need all the help you can get."

"That won't be necessary sir, I can manage." 

"Captain no one's expecting you to work shifts round the clock and try and construct a legal case," said Vimes desperately. 

"I will work better if I'm still on the Watch sir, I need to keep going."

"Oh all right, fin, but if you need help-"

"Thanks sir, it's much appreciated."

Carrot opened the door to the office and saw his children, "Go to bed you two, please," Carrot said.

They did with no arguments.

Carrot went out on patrol the next day and every day after that, what else could he do? He couldn't sleep, the best thing he could do is something useful so he went out to the Unseen University library to research. Vimes let him, what good would it do to try and stop him? Besides, Carrot was good at finding out things, perhaps he'd recover something. Anything would do. 

Candle in hand Carrot searched the shelves of the library for anything, the legal section was lacking in anything that could help, but Carrot's copy of _The Laws and Audiences of the Cities of Ankh Morpork_ reappeared and he thumbed through it looking, ticking off, making notes. He looked in the _zoology_ section and he spread iconographs of the body (parts) of Mr D'mitre (all seventeen of them) on the table. He stared at the photographs and then at the books, he shut them and looked further. 

Three hours later the Librarian was snoring in his heap, dreaming of bananas and red balloons (read The Last Hero, it will make sense), and Carrot was browsing the _species_ section of the library. He finally came to an old, battered book that looked suitably untouched. He opened it.

He smiled to himself.

It would be a fair trial alright. Justice was going to be spooned out in every painful, indigestible mouthful.

To Be Continued….. 

*** I must apologise for the lack of updates, the length and the lack of mercy on my favourite characters, but it needs to be done! ***


	8. The Trial parte 1: Trial By Lawyer

**Bad Influence- Chapter 8**

**The Trial- part 1 'Trial by Lawyer'**

Rozi

*** Well well, here goes nothing! Another update and things are getting interesting! Well I hope so at any rate… Here is the pinnacle, the big BIG bit you've all been waiting for- so who DID kill D'mitre? Harper Lee would have a heart attack if she read this.… Please read and review peeps! I do so love an ego massage. ***

Elsa, Rex and Sam sat outside the Unseen University main hall, where the trail was to take place. It was being hastily adapted into a court house, benches were slung out, a stand for the jury and various tables and even a balcony (for the spectators) had been rigged out and hammered into place. The wizards allowed it of course, the Dean had tuned his crystal ball for himself and the other faculty to watch the trial's progression. Elsa would have given anything to watch the trial, but her father had expressly forbidden it, but even so! Surely she should be allowed to watch the trial of her own mother.

"Maybe we can sneak in with the people up in the galleries?" Said Sam helpfully. 

"Yeah, no one would spot us and we'd be able to get a good view," agreed Elsa, watching the crowds entering the hall, "Rex? What's up?"

Rex looked worried, he didn't like breaking his father's rules and disobeying orders. "Oh look," said Elsa, "if they catch us, blame me okay?" 

"It's not that, I'm sure dad wouldn't set rules if they weren't for our benefit and we ought to-"

"Do you want to see if our mother is sentenced for banishment or not?"

"Well yes but-"

"Then come on!"

Elsa recognised the people who were to occupy the top gallery, some of them nodded to her politely as she walked past others glared in disgust, but she had learned to either ignore them or set Rex's unstoppable politeness on them. 

"Good day Mr Withecombe!" Rex waved at a vampire cloaked in a thick black hood that covered his face from the sun, he turned and smiled "Good day young Rex, Elsa and…er… your friend?"

Sam, nervous slightly of vampires, tried not to stare at the bottle he carried in his hand. It contained a thick red liquid and had a straw poking out of the top "Name's Samuel Gwilliam Oliver Vimes-Ramkin," he replied apprehensively "but most people call me Sam."

"Ah, Vimes' boy yes?"

"Yes."

"Told you 'bout vampires did he?" There was a real lack of an Uberwald accent; he sounded Morporkian "would you like a sip of this?" 

Sam shook his head rapidly as the bottle was handed to him, Mr Withecombe offered it to Rex "Want some lad? Good for you."

Rex took the bottle and to Sam's horror took a sip "Rex! What the hell are you doing it's-"

Rex made a face and handed it back "Tastes a little off," he said "where did you get it?"

"That cheat All Jolson gives me the leftovers from his restaurant, charges me a fortune and it tastes fowl, but I gots to get me nutrition some how eh?"

He nodded to the other two and entered the hall with a crowd of similarly dressed vampires. Rex and Elsa followed them, Sam running behind them.

"You drank it Rex! You drank that stuff! You drank-

"Tomato juice."

Sam stared "What?"

"It was tomato juice, he gets them from All Jolson and he's a black ribboner."

Sam shook his head "But… if it was tomato juice…"

"He hasn't drunk blood, human or animal for at least ten years. He said so."

"You believe him?" Sam said, still with a mixture of disgust and disbelief on his face.

"Yes, would you lie about things like that if you were a vampire in Ankh Morpork? Especially at a time like this?"

Sam watched the back of Rex's head as he disappeared into the crowd for a moment and quickly ran after them.

Vimes sat in the front seat, watching the jury assemble and the judge ascend to his seat. There were two tables each side, one for the defendant and one for the prosecution. Vimes had been in a few trials, they were often over quickly, but he felt something was very different about this one. He looked up at the galleries and a lot of faces (some masked or covered) stared back. He looked around at the benches and saw a lot of important looking officials including guild leaders such as Dr Downey and Mrs Palm. Watchmen also were posted around the benches, Trolls, Dwarfs, Reg Shoe (who had taken a particular interest in this trial) and various other guards. 

"Quite a turn out?"

Vimes turned, sitting next to him, not unexpectantly, was Lord Vetinari himself. 

"Good day your Lordship, spectator or participant?" Vimes said.

"Spectator you could say, who is representing Sgt Angua?" Vetinari asked mildly.

"Carrot."

"Really? Interesting, do you think he has a case?"

"I don't know, but I think he's got something planned."

"Capital, I shall be looking forward to it."

Vimes remembered, as if he needed reminding, why he sometimes utterly despised Vetinari, but at least he could see what was going on as well he did. You had to hand it to him, he not only had his finger on the pulse; he had his whole hand clamped around the heart. 

"Will Lady Sybil be joining us?" Vetinari asked.

"Yeah, in a couple of minutes she went looking for Sam."

"I see. And how's the little rascal getting on?"

"Well I believe."

"Good good."

Vimes was utterly relieved when Sybil carefully made her way to a seat next to him "Sam have you seen Sam?" She asked, nodding to the Patrician. 

"No, haven't you found him?" Vimes asked.

"No, I hope he hasn't sneaked in otherwise he'll be in deep trouble," Sybil sat down "of all the people to be put on trial, Angua wouldn't have done this! She has children for Gods' sake…"

"I know, hope Carrot knows what he's doing."

"Poor man, he must have had such a tough time these past few days."

Vimes hadn't seen Carrot today, he had been in and out of the unseen university library all week, but he seemed to be confident, if not fairly sure, he had something. Just keep telling yourself that, Vimes thought, perhaps it may even come true. 

Rex, Elsa and Sam made themselves comfortable on the gallery next to Violet Bottler the tooth fairy and a venerable looking vampire.

"Dad's in the front row, next to the Patrician!" hissed Sam pointing, "Mum's there to!"

"Hope they can't see us," Elsa hissed back, "otherwise we're done for."

Rex looked down at the audience "There are a lot of people here," he said amazed.

"Yeah, probably turned out to see the show," hissed Elsa angrily, "pigs."

"I'm sure it's not like that," said Rex.

"Look in the third row on the right, that woman's scoffing humbugs!" Elsa spat "They're treating it like an evening at the opera!"

"I know her, that's Lady Selachii," whispered Sam helpfully "she's a complete snob; my dad called her an 'old battle axe'."

"He's right, but that's not what I'd call her."

"Shush!" Rex hissed "they're starting!" 

Sure enough the old man they'd picked to judge the trial stood up, so did everyone else and a man to the right of the judge said "All rise for the honourable Judge De Witte."

Judge Claude Witte was a judge employed from Quirm, it was decided by the Patrician, so that no one could complain of bias. He was a round, venerable old man with face like an over melted candle.

"Be seated," he rumbled, the crowd was seated, "will the prosecution please enter."

The doors at the entrance opened and in walked Zara dressed in a flattering purple suit and wearing heavy silver necklaces and earrings. Vimes felt anger boil at his insides, that garish silver jewellery was almost like wearing a sign saying 'we all know she's guilty! Will the mob form an orderly queue behind me please!' She was followed by Mrs D'mitre and Little Mike.

"What the hells is _he_ doing here?" Sam hissed.

"Mr D'mitre was his dad," said Elsa solemnly.

"Oh," Sam settled back down.

Zara sat in her chair to the right and Mrs D'mitre settled next to her, Vimes stared and whispered to Sybil "That woman's brought her kid here!"

"Probably for sympathy." 

"Well, it's working, I feel sorry for him already."

Elsa stared at Zara in the bitterest hatred she could muster, as did Sam, even Rex (though this may have been Elsa's wishful thinking) didn't give her a friendly look. He gave her a strange, calculating look that she had never seen on his face before.

The judge nodded to them and called out "And now the defendant may take her place."

The door at the back, next to where the judge sat, opened and out stepped Angua, escorted by the looming, rocky presence of Sgt Detritus. If it was possible, she looked even worse for wear than she had done. Sgt Detritus and the handcuffs clamped around her wrists were hardly necessary; she could barely stand let alone attack anyone. 

She sat in the chair and looked up, her eyes were sullen and dull, whispers started all over the courts house. 

Elsa wanted to cry, she had trying to be brave these last couple of days, but the sight of her mother, looking so terrible and so weak was more than she could stand. Sam's hand reached out and gripped her's tightly, she smiled at him "Thanks," she whispered. Rex put a hand on her shoulder and said quietly "It's going to be alright."

Then, Carrot followed behind Sgt. Detritus, his face unreadable but he had a strange… glow wasn't the right word… karma? There was something, the something Vimes had hoped for, about him. Elsa felt a stir of hope that ran in a current to Rex and Sam. Carrot walked to the table, a leather satchel over one shoulder and a small leather sack in the other hand. He put the satchel down on the table and the bag carefully down on the floor beside the table. There was a _clink_ of metal. 

"May I asked what the sack is about Mr Carrot?" asked Zara from the other table, her smile revealing perfect white teeth.

"Evidence," said Carrot simply.

A brief expression of curiosity and _slight panic passed over Zara's face before the judge banged his hammer down ready for the trial to begin. _

"I call this trial to order, the defendant stands accused of murder, to prove this she is to be proved a werewolf and therefore a dangerous creature. She is, if found guilty, then to be banished on pain of death. Does anyone have any questions before we begin?"

Zara stood up "Your honour, I am a fully paid member of the Guild of Lawyers, I have studied in my home country of Muntab and gained several degrees and I am a legal representative. However, the person chosen to represent the defendant does not have the legality to stand as the defendant's council, I call for his impeachment."

The judge looked at Carrot for a moment; a whisper stirred in the courtroom, Vimes' heart sank several phantoms. Elsa held her breath.

"Mr… Captain I should say, you are a watchman are you not? Not a lawyer," the judge said, peering over his spectacles at him, "I would have to agree with Miss Zara over there-"

"No your honour," said Carrot, "I believe my status as Sgt Angua's defence council is perfectly legal."

The judge stared "Where is your authority Captain?"

Carrot pulled a very familiar book to Vimes out of his satchel and opened it at a page book marked carefully.

"My authority lies with the _Laws and Audiences of Ankh Morpork, under section 7b of the laws concerning fair trial," Carrot read "And I quote '__When the defendant is unable to find legal council in time for a trial, a close friend or spouse, if they be knowledgeable in the Laws of the city or within the legal service of the city (i.e. accountant, state leader or Watchman) may stand as legal representative for the defence. They are not, however, allowed to question their client in court or call them as a legal witness.'"_

Carrot pushed the book onto the stand so that the judge could read it.

"But those laws have not been used in the city for hundreds of years, they can not have any legal standing," said Zara calmly, but Elsa's position from the top gallery could sense something about her was going into a slight dread.

"These laws have never been repealed," said Carrot coolly, "you should know that being of such legal experience."

He did not say this maliciously, but as a simple statement of fact. It would have sounded so cruel if anyone else had said it, but Carrot was not like that. The judge picked up on this, Vimes could see, as he read the book carefully. Elsa bit her lip hard and whispered "Please… please…"

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the judge nodded "Yes, you have legal standing Captain, I do apologise and Zara your request is denied."

Sam let out a little "_Yes_!" and Rex squeezed Elsa's hand in relief. Vimes nodded to Sybil who smiled back. 

"It's a pity that man never became a lawyer eh Vimes?" whispered Vetinari.

Vimes thought about it, he would have been a damned good lawyer, but Gods help the legal system if he did. He'd give the profession a good reputation, he'd let everyone hire him! He wouldn't be very popular with the more _professional_ members of the Guild of Lawyers.

Carrot picked up the book and sat back down in his seat; Angua turned to him and gave a weak little grin.

The judge banged his hammer for a little more quiet in the court and continued "Well then, we will begin with the Prosecution, do you have anything to say to open your case?"

Zara stood up, briefly fixing the defence with a smile, and walked to the front of the court. She moved so gracefully and so assured in her poise it was almost hypnotising to watch, yet somehow you felt afraid of what she was thinking.

"Ladies, Gentlemen and… others," she flashed a mirthful grin at the audience in the galleries "I would like to bring a dangerous woman, the defendant, to justice. She killed an innocent man in cold blood, tearing him up like a piece of meat and would gladly do it again. Only today, she threatened my client and nearly killed her! It is in the interest of the city and its residence that we pay attention to these individuals that threaten the ordinary people of Ankh Morpork. They may be perfectly harmless now, but what about when they lose control? Vampires, werewolves, ghouls? The Black Ribbon movements will not contain them forever; it is only a matter of time. We cannot allow them to share the city with us, not because of discrimination, but it is a matter of safety for our families and friends. Is that not what Watchmen are for? Yet one of these same individuals is a member of those who are supposed to protect us! Imagine that! Through this trial, we will reveal the defendant as guilty and secure the city for our future generations!"

The speech caused a wave of applause in the court, Vimes snarled, Lady Sybil's boos were drowned out in the clapping and Vimes heard various whispers of "For a foreigner she really knows what she's talking about…", "all the way from Muntab and she knows our laws! Amazing," and "she doesn't look as though she's from Muntab, I thought they were all black there?" Vimes tried to restrain himself from turning round and thumping them. 

Elsa growled under her breath. How dare she say those things! Not all werewolves were like that, how dare she-

She stopped when she felt as if she was being watched; she looked down and saw Zara, her green eyes fixed on hers tightly. The smile was still there, but it looked abandoned and fake when looking into those eyes. Elsa's heart beat faster, she's seen me! But instead of saying something, Zara averted her gaze from her and turned back to the court as the applause began to die down. She walked back to the chair but did not sit down. Carrot got up, apparently undaunted by the applause, as the judge said "Do you have anything to say in this matter Captain?"

Carrot nodded "Yes your honour, I do," he said walking round to where Zara had been and stood still. He didn't move for quiet some time, he didn't say a word; there wasn't even a twitch of his face. The silence flowed uncomfortably around the courtroom, everyone desperately wanted to move out of their seats as he fixed them with his best interrogation face.

And finally, he spoke.

"I appreciate Ms Modagambi's enthusiasm; it seems she knows a lot about my client and about the laws of Ankh Morpork. However, I doubt she knows little about justice, because true justice, as I have seen through at least ten years of service as a Watchman, is often makes the wrong people very uncomfortable. The beast is not always as obvious as it seems and ridding the city of those who keep a repressed anger within themselves will probably take a long time. In fact, it would mean everyone from myself to the senior officials of the city guilds would have to leave and never come back. Everyone has an inner beast; it just manifests itself in different ways. My client is no more guilty than anyone else in this courtroom of that, however, some one in this courtroom is **guilty**. They know they are guilty, they know all to well, but they think that by using an innocent person to cover up for the very same crimes that they have committed that they will ultimately escape the truth and the real horror of what they did. I am here to prove that my client is innocent and that the real guilty party are not only responsible, but that they will not get away with it. Lies and deceit will only get you so far and then the truth will bounce back before you have a chance to blink."

Carrot paused and coughed "Furthermore, they have no right to accuse all those whose manifestations are more… literal than others. You assume because of some hidden beast that they all lie and cheat and commit murders, but you can be as human as can be and still resort to the behaviour of a beast, become a monster with the deepest most terrible bloodlust that anyone can even think of. In fact, that's much worse. I want this trial to be fair, and I urge the jury to think about what they're doing. They will let the real killer walk the streets, threatening the families of those who are truly without guilt. My client's daughter, my own son, my friends' children, all the future generations of the city will grow up and never learn to tame their inner monsters because those with real power were too blind to see the real monsters hidden in a crowd of those equally blinded by grief. "

Carrot nodded to the crowd and to the judge "That's all your honour, thank you."

Vimes stared, and stared as the courtroom fell into a hushed, uncomfortable silence. That's not like him, Vimes thought, that's not like him! What the hells is going on? He's not taking my advice is he? Oh Gods what have I done?

Elsa couldn't believe her father's speech, she had never heard him speak like that before and it unnerved her. She tried to read her mother's expression, but it was hidden under the tangle of her matted blonde hair. 

Vimes tried to look at Angua as well, but he could not see her face either. She had always known that deep down Carrot knew how to be nasty and how to really make people uncomfortable. He knew how. He has inner beasts like a werewolf, but he knows how to use them to his bidding, he's tamed them and he's shown them that letting them out on a quick maiming spree is better than a long run and getting shot with a silver crossbow or getting a stake through the heart. 

Vimes' turned to the Patrician; Vetinari had a smile so knowing, so… not smug, it was the kind of smile that knew it had met its match, it's equal and he was keen to see how this would turn out. 

_A small slice of cake on a regular basis is better than a big piece with a dagger in it_.

Ye Gods, you have to so complicated to be so simple.

Even the judge was impressed; he coughed and broke the silence "Thank you Captain."

Elsa risked a glance at Zara, the smile had gone and her eyes glowered with a burning anger. 

'She's hiding something,' Elsa thought, 'but if she was a werewolf I'd smell it, also that jewellery… that's definitely silver.' 

So what was she hiding…?

Now the questioning of the accused, Angua was helped to the stand by Detritus; she sat down as carefully as she could and she lifted her head to the audience. 

Detritus rumbled the Ankh Morpork version of the courtroom oath "You know dat it is a crime to tell lies in court."

"Yes."

"You promise not to lie?"

"Yes."

"Good."

The troll too a position next to her and a lance-constable removed the hand-cuffs from around her wrists. 

Since the defence could not question her, she would only have to face the questionings of the prosecution. Zara stood next to the box and stared at her, meeting her eyes and not removing them "Sgt Angua, you were found next to the body, your clothes were torn and you received several burns, is this not true?"

"Yes it's true."

"The burns were from the deceased's knife were they not?"

"Yes."

"Which is made of silver?"

"Yes."

"Silver burns werewolves does it not?"

"Yes."

"Can you explain this? If you are not a werewolf then why did the silver knife burn you?"

Angua paused for a short time and said carefully, "D'mitre had a habit of heating his knives before using them, he liked to leave his marks on those who double crossed him when dealing in the dodgy weapons trade he had down the docks. He was a crook, but fancied himself as a flashy type like Crysophrase."

"And this is why it burned you?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you are telling the whole truth Miss Angua?"

"I assure you I am telling you the truth."

"How can we be sure? There is no evidence that he is dealing anything, just a Watchman's suspicions. How about you give us your account of what happened?"

Angua began to cough and sipped a glass of water; she put it down and gathered her breath. She croakily begun her account "I was on my way to see D'mitre I admit, I was near the bridge where he was found and I was attacked. First something hit attacked me and I lay near unconscious and then something exploded, I smelt burning and I blacked out."

"So you don't remember this so-called attacker's face? How convenient."

Zara walked back to her desk and pulled out a small vile, she walked to Angua and waved it under her nose "This is the vile used on that night to create the silver bomb, it didn't save D'mitre, but it stopped you before you could kill anyone else. D'mitre knew about you didn't he? He had a collection of various anti-undead implements such as silver weapons, stakes and holy water; they did not save him from you though did they? But they certainly did damage did they not? Can you explain away how you managed to get burned by floating silver gas if you are not a werewolf?"

Angua's gaze narrowed "Anyone would get burned lungs by hot, metal gases," she spat, "if I am werewolf then why aren't I dead? Surely floating silver gases should have killed me?"

Zara's flow of questions broke for a moment, but she quickly recovered "You have an Igor do you not? They are genius healers, you look pretty worse for wear I'd have to say, he can't have been able to heal everything."

"If I was a werewolf and that bomb was silver I would have burned up completely, even Igor would have been powerless to do anything except scatter my ashes." 

"Perhaps you were just lucky," said Zara coolly. 

"Perhaps," Angua said meaningfully, "perhaps."

Zara changed her questioning "Tell me, why did you go to see the deceased on the night he was attacked?"

"He was threatening to blackmail me."

"What with?"

"He said that in exchange for being allowed to carry on dealing in illegal weapons and such he would not get his son Michael to get my daughter to change in front of other people." 

"So you have a daughter who's a werewolf?"

"I didn't say that."

"But the deceased's son testified that he saw your daughter, Elsa I believe, 'go funny, she grew fangs and nearly killed me, screaming that she'd tear out my liver'. Can you explain this?"

"Forgive my judgement, but that boy is a little liar."

"Oh?"

"My son ain't a liar!" Shouted Ms D'mitre "He's a good boy he is!"

Angua turned to her and croaked "I have had to take him to the yard on various charges of shop-lifting, damage to property and beating up smaller children."

"That's a lie!"

"Check our records; he's a liar Ms D'mitre and a bad one at that. Captain Carrot caught him painting a message on a public statue in Peach Pie Street, he was literally caught red handed, he had red paint down his shirt and on his hands and he still protested his innocence. Another time he was holding a small child by the front of his shirt and beating him senseless, Constable Shoe arrested him, he still protested his innocence despite the fact he had the child's blood on his hands and Shoe had caught him in the act. "

"That's just circumstantial evidence," said Zara.

"Like being found unconscious next to a dead body doesn't mean that you committed the murder?"

Ms D'mitre's mouth opened and closed a few times and she sat down. Zara glared slightly and continued "But you admit that your child has a temper? She's prone to acts of violence at school, including fights according to some of her teachers."

"Aren't most children? Doesn't prove Elsa's a werewolf," said Angua "I'll admit she has to learn to control her temper better, but she is no more of a werewolf than I am."

"We have yet to prove that Sergeant," said Zara, returning the vial to her pocket "you had a motive for killing him then?"

"Yes, I did."

"I see."

"But then again, I'd imagine I'm not the only one with a motive, all the members of Crysophrase's gang were out for his head, as were some members of the Thieves Guild. Why don't you question them?"

"They could not have ripped a man to shreds."

"A troll could and you'd be amazed how… imaginative, some killers can be."

"But he could have exposed you and your daughter, would that not have been good grounds for killing him?"

"I did not want to kill him; I admit he made me angry for spreading rumours about me and Elsa being cold-blooded killers. Wouldn't you be angry if someone was spreading the same rumours about you?"

"Angry enough to kill him?"

"I have better self control than that, I was going to arrest him and bring him back to the Watch house."

"All by yourself? Why did you not bring reinforcements?"

Angua leaned back "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Or you did not want anyone else getting involved."

"Either way, I went alone because I thought I could handle him by myself, it's not as if he's a prized fighter. He couldn't physically hurt me if he tried, but he wasn't the one who knocked me out."

"The silver bomb."

"My attacker."

Zara laughed "Its quiet convenient that you can't remember this attacker like I said."

"It's hard to remember things when you're lying on a bridge, lungs burnt out and _unconscious_," Angua hissed.

"But you didn't see this attacker?" 

"No, it was dark."

"Oh yes?"

"If I was a werewolf I would have been able to smell who it was," Angua prompted. 

"With all that silver hanging around, I doubt anyone be able to, it burnt out your lungs did it not?"

"Yes, but it would have burnt anyone's lungs, can you imagine how hot silver gas has to be before it turns into a gas? It has to be even hotter to be able to react violently enough to explode."

"But why use a silver bomb? Surely a more explosive bomb would have worked? Why use silver if you knew you weren't dealing with a werewolf?"

"To frame me."

Zara stopped and stared at her thoughtfully "Frame you? Why would anyone want to do that?"

"It's obvious using me as a way of covering up their dealings with D'mitre. The attacker used a silver bomb to make out that I was a werewolf."

"Why you in particular? Why not anyone else?"

Angua shrugged "I'm from Uberwald I admit, but so is my fellow officers Sergeant Detritus and Corporal Littlebottom and they are not werewolves, or vampires."

"But you were originally hired as a representative for the undead community?"

"Werewolves are not the undead."

"Really," asked Zara, "you know this how?"

"I lodge at Mrs Cake's in Elm Street; many werewolves there would consider being called 'undead' a bit of an insult." 

"So why were you hired?" 

Angua smiled "I am a good Watchman; at least I hope I am, otherwise my Commander has made some very grave promotion mistakes."

There was a ripple of laughter from the audience, Zara's face went rather sour for a moment and she resumed her questioning "What is your relationship with Captain Carrot?"

"I'm sorry?"

Elsa swallowed, she couldn't lie, but if she told people about her marriage…

"He has been a friend of mine for many years," Angua replied simply "I hardly see why this is relevant."

"Yes," the judge said, "please explain your line of questioning."

"You have a daughter Sgt Angua, as you've mentioned before, but do you not also have a son?" Zara continued.

Angua said nothing.

"And is that son not Elsa's twin brother?"

Still Angua said nothing, her expression remained calm and she said "Why is it relevant?"

"Who is Elsa's father Sergeant?"

Angua met her gaze and said "I refuse to answer this question until-"

"It is a simple question Sergeant."

There was a low whispering amongst the court which the judge hammered away and Elsa begged to the God of lost causes "Please… don't answer… please…."

"What is that on your finger Sergeant?" Zara pointed to Angua's right hand.

Angua held up her hand and showed, on her finger, a small, plain looking gold ring. Vimes' eyes widened 'Ye Gods, what the hell-'

"It's a wedding ring," said Angua.

"So you are married?"

Angua's eyes flickered towards Carrot for a moment, and she said "Yes."

"Who to?" 

Angua lowered her hand and said, calmly "None of your business."

"All you have to do is answer the question; it's not going to affect the outcome of this trial in any way is it?"

Zara had got her cornered; Angua could see it in her eyes, Vimes dared not look at Carrot's face.

"I'm…" Angua began, but she faltered, trying to look for a way out of answering this question. The Judge leaned forward "You did not answer me Zara, why are you asking her these irrelevant questions?"

Zara smiled at the judge "Why is she so secretive about her children? Or her husband for that matter? Perhaps the reason is," she turned to the jury, "that she cannot reveal her husband's identity because it would connect him with her and her _accused_ werewolf nature. She thinks that her children would then be drawn into this."

"Should we not leave them out of these proceedings? They are not accused of anything," the judge said sternly.

"But they are surely carrying werewolf genetics? They are just as dangerous as their mother," Zara turned to Angua "it is important we know. If she simply reveals the identity of the father now, we can forget about it here and now."

You bitch, thought Vimes, present company accepted, how could you?! Ye Gods this was clever, terrible but clever. Zara had pulled her trump card.

Angua paused briefly and sighed "Carrot."

"I'm sorry?" Said Zara cruelly, "we need the jury to be able to hear."

"Carrot, I married him about five years ago."

The whispers reached fever pitch, it took quite a few bangs of the hammer to finally gain silence. 

"And are we to assume that he is the father of your _two children?" _

"Yes."

Angua was trying desperately not to show the panic that rose within her, but Gods it was hard. She couldn't even look at Carrot.

"Why were you so reluctant to answer the question sergeant?" Zara said looking round at Carrot, whose face remained wooden.

"We choose not to make a public spectacle of it because it could have interfered with our jobs."

"Surely that's a little extreme for just being a Watchman?" Said Zara "It can't be _that_ demanding surely?"

Angua looked at her "It is Zara, I have been in the Watch for over ten years and it _is_ that demanding."

"But surely you can work around these?"

"Yes of course we do, but I don't think it's that important," Angua said with utter conviction.

"What about the children?"

"What about them?"

"Surely they cause a few problems?" 

Elsa couldn't help but feel the question was directed at her. She leaned in carefully and stared at her mother.

"Children always do, but like I said, we work around them."

"How does your husband feel about this?"

"Why don't you ask him, he is sitting right _there."_

"He's not the one in the witness box Sergeant," Zara leaned towards her nastily, her pearly white teeth glinting and the silver jewellery glittering like knives. Angua didn't move away from it, she turned and looked at her "He doesn't mind," she says, "we worked this out long ago."

Zara nodded "Of course you did sergeant."

Zara walked away and leaned against the table "Surely no loving mother would choose to place her career over her children?" She addressed the jury "Is it not sensible that to really care for the children she should have to look after them? If she loved her children so much then surely her job should not take precedence? I believe that she is covering something; she hasn't told us the whole truth. I will not force it out of her, I don't believe I'll need to, I'll let the jury do their duty." 

Zara turned to Angua, who was giving her a look of pure hatred that hid behind a pair of clam eyes.

Vimes was horrified, Zara knew her stuff and she was the nastiest lawyer that he had ever come across. She was making Angua out to be a liar, or at least someone with something to hide. That was not going to sit with the jury. It was better than asking her directly 'Are you a werewolf?' It made the whole process of being a witness more drawn out and much more painful. Gods, I hope Carrot knows what he's going to do.

Elsa could sense her mother's panic and she could feel her own fear rising like bubbles within her. Her mother was good when cornered, but even she had limits. Especially with it concerned her children. How would Zara know how caring or not caring Angua was as a mother? She had no right to judge that! She didn't know! Elsa loved her mother deeply, she didn't mind her mother not being around that much, she understood her job and she preferred it this way anyway! After all, Angua hadn't spoilt her and Rex like Mrs D'mitre spoilt Little Mike. She would have given anything to stand up and shout something at Zara, but she had to keep down and keep quiet. Zara knew this to; Angua wasn't the only one that was a victim of Zara's slow torture, she was almost _daring Elsa to stand up and let her mother see that she had been there the whole time; disobeying her mother's wishes and proving Zara right. Zara was toying with them. Like mice. _

The judge nodded "Do you have anything further to say Miss Modagambi?"

Zara shook her illustrious head and said "No your honour, I have no witnesses either."

The judge's eyes widened "I see, well, I admire your confidence Miss Modagambi and you may sit down."

Zara walked around to her seat and sat down, yet another rise of whispers echoed in the hall and a few claps. Vimes saw Sybil look positively shocked and appalled; she shook her head and mumbled "What would she know about being a mother?"

Vimes wondered what was to happen next. The judge hit his hammer a few times for order and nodded to Carrot "Your turn Captain, baring in mind that you cannot question your wi- client as a witness."

As Carrot stood up, the whispers, the diluted applause and even the judge fell silent. His tall frame seemed to shadow the audience for a thoughtful moment and he walked around. Elsa bit her lip, she saw Rex trying to read his father's expression, but he was having the same trouble as she was. Sam was chanting something under his breath.

"Thank you your honour," said Carrot calmly and he knelt down by the table and pulled the bag that had made the metallic noises and put it on the table. He opened the satchel and thumbed through the documents he had, making thoughtful clicking noises with his tongue. No one even dared breathe, the suspense hung in the air like a bad smell and Carrot did not even seem to notice. He seemed to select the right papers and put them on the desk, he coughed a few times and begun "Some revelations were made I did not think were necessary to this case, but they are out of the way now, and I hope they will not dampen the jury's view on my case." 

He said this perfectly reasonably, but if anyone else had said it, it would have sounded like a threat. 

"I begin with my first, and only, witness; Miss Zara Modagambi."

The whispers reached fever pitch, it took the judge a very long time to get everyone to shut up. Vimes' jaw dropped to his chest and he thought 'Carrot, what the bloody hell are you playing at?!'

Elsa thought the same thing as Vimes, why question her? She would simply repeat the same things she had already said! What did Carrot think he was doing?!

Rex hissed "I think I know what he's doing."

Elsa and Sam turned to him; Elsa hissed "What is he doing? This is crazy!"

"I know it sounds crazy, but I think he's got an idea. I trust him."

"I hope he knows what he's doing," whispered Sam, "Elsa's right, she's not going to say anything new."

"Not unless Dad can ask the right questions," said Rex. 

To Be Continued….

Ooooohhhh…. A twist! I'm so proud. Go me. Please review peeps! *begs*


	9. The Trial parte 2: Trial by Carrot

**Bad Influence- Chapter 9**

**The Trial parte 2- Trial by Carrot**

Sorry it took sooo long. But as per usual, various things came up, homework, coursework, holidays... my mum's crusade against the Internet. You know the gig. I always take forever, but I promise I will finish it. It may take a while, but by Gods I will finish! HELL YEAH! **Brian May air guitar** 

Zara got up, she looked deeply puzzled, but she seemed collected in her step. Vimes felt his copper's radar go haywire, his eyes travelled to the walk Zara used in an effort to guess her tactics. She sat down almost regally in her chair and smiled at the court room "Ask away Captain, I have nothing to hide," she purred silkily.

Carrot nodded and picked up a collection of documents walked over to Zara… and stopped. 

"Miss Modagambi, did you murder Mr D'mitre?"

There was a pause; a long one that seemed to expand the question until it filled the world. Carrot didn't move and didn't take his eyes off of Zara and she stared back, her green eyes watching him intensely, until at last she spoke "No, of course not," she said calmly.

Carrot nodded and chuckled "I see, just checking."

There was a ripple of relived and slightly confused laughter from the audience at the randomness of this question and Carrot cleared his throat.

"Miss Modagambi, can you tell me how long you have known the D'mitre's?" he said, carefully, "I believe you have been a family friend to them since Mr D'mitre married Mrs D'mitre who is sitting over there, is this not correct?"

"Yes Captain, I have known them for a very long time. I remember when they had Michael," Zara replied pleasantly.

"Hmm, your family have strong connections with the D'mitres do they not?" 

"Yes, my father is very rich and they've had connections with the D'mitres for a long time."

"As long as you have been their family friend?"

"Yes."

Carrot nodded and peered at a document for a moment and then asked "Did you know about the militant group in your home country called 'White Claw'?"

Zara looked puzzled for a moment and smiled "They're a group of malcontents; a collection of wild throw backs who want to rule the larger continents of Muntab, what about them?"

"Are they mainly connected with the more elite members of Muntabian society?"

"Mainly yes, they want more power for the traditional tribe leaders-"

"Such as Lord Chief Roberto Modagambi?"

Zara stopped and once again their eyes met, but Zara did not lose any composure "My father is very traditionalist I'll admit," she said leaning back in her chair, "but he would not become involved with a group like White Claw, he knows when to move with the times and when to stick with our noble family traditions."

Carrot opened a file and skimmed over it "These traditions include hunting the local tribes' people?"

Zara's face went wooden.

"There are reports here that I have gathered from various correspondents who, for various reasons, are not named. They give reports of the local big families, who were traditionally chieftains in far ancient times, who take a warrior from each of the tribes that live on the plains in Muntab and kill him for sport. Am I wrong?"

The audience would traditionally whisper and chat under their breath, but not a soul stirred, not a voice spoke and all eyes fell on Zara.

She smiled "That has been a tradition of my family, but it has not been practised for-"

"A week," Carrot said, "according to this document."

Zara and Carrot paused for another stare out.

"Well, I don't know where they got these… lies from, but I assure you my family is quite civilised."

"But your father believes in the hierarchy of the ancient chieftain tribes, which stems from various legends and beliefs of the Muntabian people."

"How do you know that?" Zara said, with ever so slight irritation, "Another biased report? You cannot prove this."

Carrot closed the folder with a snap that made everyone, except Vetinari, Carrot and Zara, jump and cry out. 

Everyone waited.

"No," said Carrot, "I suppose these reports are the only evidence I've got, that and the statements from various tribe members and tribes people in these reports, I have no evidence at all."

"You cannot trust those people in any case; they will say anything to get more power for themselves."

"Oh yes, quite, I'm sure they don't deserve power," Carrot said, still not threateningly, "after all, a little famine and draught never hurt anyone."

Vimes felt a grin surface to his lips, 'Gods he's good,' he thought, 'I wish I could promote him higher.'

Zara waved a hand dismissively "What has all this got to do with anything?"  

Carrot shrugged "Well, I just thought that if your family had connections with such militant traditionalists like 'White Claw' I'd have thought they'd like some weapons to fight back the current ruling government stationed there."

There was yet more carefully measured silence and Zara spoke "It has not been yet proved that the deceased had any weapons smuggling connections."

"No, it hasn't," Carrot said, walking back to the table, "but, I think I may provide some evidence…"

He picked up the bag by the table and carefully opened it; he pulled out, (some what more slowly than Vimes liked) one of the most evil weapons (still in production) that any one on the Disc had ever come across. 

"Ye Gods," Vimes breathed, "I thought I'd never lay my eyes on that thing again."

Carrot held it under one arm and reached into the bag again whilst he spoke "This is known as a 'one-shot' crossbow," he said as his hand retrieved something else from the bag "it is infamous for various reasons. It is, for one, banned as a 'street' weapon in Ankh Morpork by the assassin's guild, but there are outer plains region towns and cities and some parts of Psuedoplis manufacture these."

Carrot had retrieved some bolts, he pulled open the bow, strung it easily and cocked the bow, Vimes remember nearly rupturing himself, but Carrot pulled the string back with barely more than a grunt and a flexing of his huge muscles. Nonetheless he shook his arm afterwards and flexed his fingers as if the bow had been some effort and slotted a bolt in.

"As you can see, it is very difficult to load, but it is extremely easy to conceal and that is one of many reasons why it is banned," Carrot pointed the bow down at the floor when he apparently noticed that many in the audience had gone _very_ pale, "but as I said, it could be smuggled into Ankh Morpork and then onto a boat from any of the major ports in the city. We currently have a bit of crisis in the city where smuggled weapons are concerned, I have to admit, it is extremely hard to detect them, especially when they are this compact."

Carrot turned to Zara and placed the crossbow down on the table next to Angua who did not even flinch. 

"This bow was found in a warehouse along the docks just one week ago, along with these bolts, the warehouse belonged to none other than Mr D'mitre," Carrot stopped.

Elsa stared in wonderment; her father was definitely onto something, she could sense it. She looked back at the crossbow lying on the table, still loaded with one bolt and found herself staring at the bolt tip. She stared closer; her werewolf vision taking in every detail of the bolt's tip which shone brightly with a goldish colour- But that couldn't be right could it? Perhaps it was just bronze or something; gold was a rare commodity in Ankh Morpork and anyone who found enough gold in Ankh Morpork to make a crossbow bolt would either have to be extremely rich or **very persuasive…**

Zara smiled "It could just be completely circumstantial Captain," she said calmly, almost pleasantly, "my client would have found it difficult to get those gold bolts in any case-"

She stopped and her face fell.

'Gotcha!' Vimes thought.

Carrot didn't take it up straight away, he waited a few seconds to let the jury take in what she had said and delicately plucked out one of the bolts. 

"Miss Modagambi, how did you know these bolts were gold?"

Zara for a moment looked slightly off balance and then she laughed "Oh, I saw them from here, they look like gold."

"Oh I see," Carrot chuckled "just asking."

He turned and began to dismantle the bow and allowed a small trickle of conversation to make itself known in the courtroom. Some senior members of the thieves' guild were looking very interestedly at the gold crossbow bolts left on the table as were a number of dwarves. Carrot appeared not to have noticed. 

He spoke finally "We propose an experiment to prove the evidence against Sergeant Angua is false and unjustified," he pulled out a silver ball the size of a cricket ball and showed it to the audience "I will ask Sergeant Angua to catch this silver ball. If it burns her flesh then you will know for definite she is a werewolf, if not, then we will take it as red that at least one of the charges is false."

Elsa gasped, but that was insane! Her father would ruin everything! What was going on?! What the hells- 

You can always count on an idiot in the opposition to help you out in times of crisis.

"How do we know that it is real silver?" Shouted Mrs D'mitre.

Only Elsa saw Zara's face, the eyes widened and the lips pursed into a face that said 'You just scored an own goal!'

Carrot sighed "You don't trust me?" he shrugged "I knew this may come up, I have every reason to try and trick you. She is my wife after all, I could use a fake silver ball, but I pride myself in being a truthful person. I will gladly lay any suspicions you as the jury may have to rest." 

Carrot pulled out an old book, the cover was green with quite a few acid stains on the cover and the pages were yellow and worn. It looked positively ancient. Carrot laid it down on the table and fumbled back in the bag again. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen, members of the jury, I would like to perform a simple experiment, but for this I need assistance from a fellow officer, Corporal Littlebottom?"

Cheri stepped up from the crowd a little nervously and made her way to the front. She nodded sympathetically at Angua and went to the door which Angua had been led out of. She disappeared for a moment and came out with a trolley laden with alchemy equipment; a glass trough mounted on a metal stand. The trough had a strange cube glass container over the top with a small tube with a seal at one end leading from the top of the trough to the cube container. She also pulled out a pair of scales.

"Whilst Corporal Littlebottom is setting the equipment up," Carrot continued, "I would like to present some evidence as to the identity of my client's attacker. That person, or persons, that not only killed Mr D'Mitre, but also attacked Sergeant Angua and set off the silver bomb."

Carrot picked up the bag and handed over a silver ball to Cheri who took it and placed it on the table with equipment. He also pulled out yet another book, larger and newer than the other and opened it up. The audience mumbled and murmured, but Carrot raised his hand for silence. 

"I would like to first recall one the oldest legends of the Muntabian people, it goes right back to when their Gods first made them. It began when the Creator first breathed life into the people of Muntab, they were given darker skin than the men of the distant lands and were given the land to farm and plough and worship the Gods on. However, a group of powerful priests of the animal Gods, under the light of the Full Moon, put on the skins of great wild cats and under the Moon's light became wild cats. The pictograms left by the Muntabian tribes men who created these legends portrays these animals as lions or possibly leopards, but these priests, with their new powers took over the plains and ruled them as kings. They had grown paler skin because of the golden colour of the animal fur which they had worn. The tribes' people hated them, but dared not rebel, for their anger was swift and deadly, like a lion and their hunger for power was as insatiable as the sun's heat on the plains."

Carrot didn't seem to have noticed that the audience were utterly mesmerised. He coughed and thumbed through the book to a page further on.

"Is this legend correct Miss Modagambi?" Carrot asked politely. 

Zara laughed "Yes it is," she said, "but it is silly superstitions Captain, I hope you are no using it as evidence!"

Carrot smiled "Why yes I am," he said calmly, "as matter of fact."

Zara's laugh faded quickly.

Carrot found the page and read aloud "Though it is thought that these so called _were_-cats are extinct, there have been, in recent years, numerous reports of sightings, both in Klatch and in Muntab. In Klatch the were-cat turns in a small, domestic cat at full moon and generally not given much cause for concern. However, the Muntabian were-cat takes the form of a large wild cat, possibly resembling a puma or a lion. Their claws are larger than that of its more common and more widely known opposite- the werewolf, also it's jaws more powerful and it's weaknesses different to that of a werewolf."

Carrot paused for a split second to turn a page.

"Both the werewolf and the were-cat become their animal shapes at full moon, but curiously enough, as the werewolf's weakness is silver, the were-cat's… is gold."

Another carefully measured silence, Zara stared at Carrot, not the faintest glimmer of panic on her beautiful features and said silkily "Prove it."

Carrot smiled pleasantly "Prove what?"

Zara laughed nastily "Stop playing games Captain, I can see you suspect me to be one of these creatures, these so-called were-cats, and you think I killed D'mitre, attacked Angua and set off the silver bomb don't you?"

Carrot shrugged "It was a theory, but I have not any proof as yet."

He picked up a medium glass container from the table where Cheri was setting up. It sloshed with a diluted liquid of a faint Octarine colour and held it out to the audience. "I would like the present this, it is a container of a recently discovered advancement from the High Energy Magic building at Unseen University. They kindly lent us this sample to conduct a small experiment with. It is known as Octorine Solution."

He carefully laid down the jar and nodded to Cheri "I will allow Corporal Littlebottom to explain the properties of the solution. She is the Watch's most trained alchemist and part of our forensic team."

Vimes' heard his cynical thoughts say 'The only reason she's our most trained alchemist because she's our _only alchemist…'_

Cheri coughed cautiously when she realised she was the centre of attention, but glanced at Angua, coughed again and said "Octorine Solution is made by condensing Octegen, the highly magical and highly unstable gas developed by heating up Octoron. It, like the metal and the gas, is highly unstable. Exposure to anything from air to other metals can produce highly unstable result and huge quantities of raw magic. The only thing it does not react to is clean water, which is used to dilute the solution and contain it. However, small, tightly measured quantities can be used to detect certain metals of a 'magical' quality, such as silver or gold, without (unlike some solutions) changing the physical properties of the metals. It can also be used in bombs such as the one used to attack Sergeant Angua-"

The judge interjected quickly "So you're confirming that this substance was used in the bomb. How did it produce the silver gas?"

Cheri nodded "It reacts with the metal, causing temperatures that are high enough to produce the metal gas."

"I see."

"The culprit only used a small amount of silver and a small amount of the solution, but it was enough to incapacitate Sergeant Angua, but not quite enough to kill her."

"But why silver though? I expect that this solution has the same effect with any gas," The judge said mindfully.

"Yes it does, but I think the attacker used it because it would then frame Angua as a werewolf _and_ as D'mitre's murderer."

"I see, that does make sense. Very well, proceed."

Cheri nodded to Carrot and said, "This experiment is purely to prove that this silver ball is genuine silver. The ball's weight will not change when tested in the solution, which will show that the metal's physical properties have not been changed."

She placed the silver ball on the scales "5 kgs," she said (author's note- I have no bloody idea how much a silver ball the size of a cricket ball weighs, I'm making a lot of this up using the Discworld companion and what little I learned in Chemistry!). She wrote it down carefully in her notebook and watched several members of the jury do the same. She then lifted the glass cube and dropped it into a deep glass trough. She stood beside the equipment and pointed to the cube above the trough "This will capture the gas which escape from the reaction. This gas will be the same as that which attacked Sergeant Angua."

Elsa watched the experiment with horrified fascination; her eyes stayed on the silver ball as it fizzed around in the glass trough, the gas drifted up into the container above like steam. She wondered what her mother's face was like, was she keeping the same blank expression? She hoped so, Elsa knew she wouldn't be able to keep a brave face, it was a dangerous moment now. It could go either way now. It was one of those moments when the anticipation drives you almost mad, hoping that it would just get to that moment where it bloody well _worked_…

The ball stopped fizzing in the solution. The gas stopped rising. The audience held its breath. 

Cheri carefully lifted the container, which was white with the cloudy silver gas, and placed it carefully down under the table. She then took out a pair of tongs and lifted the silver ball out. 

"It will be a bit hot, it shan't take long to cool," she said and placed the ball on a heat proof mat "We have to wait until the temperature falls until we get a true weight."

They waited, all eyes looked on the silver ball and the short time seemed to take forever. 

And ever. 

Annnnndddddd eevvvveeerrrrr…

Cheri reached out and touched the ball lightly and said, "It's cooled," and placed the ball onto the scales.

The pauses that were now common place in this trial were now unbearable. 

Until at last Cheri said "Its 5kgs sir."

Talk erupted to an enormous uproar. The judge was about to call for order when a voice, louder than everyone else's, called out (no, _screamed out) "It's a trick!"_

Carrot was the only one who didn't join in the talking that proceeded Zara's outburst. He calmly said, "How could I have tricked you?"

Zara, as if realising what she was doing, quickly looked around in embarrassment. She coughed and said "Apologies Captain…continue."

Vimes stared, like everyone else, at Zara. What the hells was that about? Why did she suddenly back down like that? She might have exposed whatever Carrot's planning… if he's planning anything. He still felt a dreadful burn at the pit of his stomach that this could soon go horribly pear-shaped unless Carrot could think of something soon…

Carrot nodded at Zara and picked up the silver ball. It looked perfectly innocent in his hand, yet at the same time looking deceptively… well. Deceptive. 

"Sergeant Angua?" Carrot said to Angua who looked right at him.

"Yes?"

"Catch."

Carrot threw it.

Elsa gripped Sam's hand so tight the knuckles went pale, Rex bit his lip…

Vimes held his breath; Sybil beside him muttered a prayer under her breath to the God of Desperate chances…

Angua reached out.

And….

Caught it.

To Be Continued….

Whmhahaha. Aren't I cruel? Until next time.


	10. The Trial parte 3: The Truth Will Out

Bad Influence Chapter 10

The Truth Will Out

Rosalind Morley Souter

*** Okay, this is it ladies and gentle worms. Hope it goes well! I must warn you, I have had a severe case of writer's block since I began Art College; it seems always the way that when ever my art gets better my writing gets worse and vice versa. It sucks. But ho well. So sorry if it seems a little… well… bad, but I've tried my best.***

Her fingers closed around the silver ball, everyone winced. They heard the sound of burning; they all smelt burning flesh… Elsa looked away, Sam shut his eyes, and even Rex couldn't bear to watch…

Yet…

There was no cry, no noise, nothing. 

But they _had_ heard… Or had they? 

Carrot hadn't moved, his hand had stayed where it was when he was in the process of throwing and his face was as wooden as he could make it. 

Angua threw the ball to her other hand and then back again, her face was blank and calm. Everyone craned to see if the silver had burned her…

Carrot coughed to break the silence "Angua, would you like to show the court your hands please?"

She stood up, carefully put the ball on the table and turned to face the court. They all stared as she held up her hands to reveal unburned, un-blistered, unaffected skin. The ring on her finger glittered in an oddly smug way.

The rabble was almost uncontrollable; it took several bangs of the judge's hammer to finally get silence. 

"Order! Order!"

Carrot coughed, the courtroom fell silent. He stared at the audience for a moment and then he glanced at Angua, then back. He spoke eventually and said "There you have it."

Vimes felt his jaw drop in amazement, "Ye Gods, how in the Hells did he do that?" He whispered to Sybil, who shrugged.

"Incredible," said Vetinari distantly, "very well done Captain."

Vimes was beginning to suspect something was going on with Vetinari. He was sharp, in more ways than one; he obviously knew something Vimes didn't. But wasn't that always the way? Vimes felt tempted to ask him if he knew anything, but stopped himself. He would ask Carrot. Best to ask him. 

Zara looked horrified, everyone could see she was on the verge of screaming, her eyes had gone an odd shade and she was shaking. Her self control was buckling. Elsa saw Angua's look of sudden empathy, but it didn't seem that anyone else did. 

Carrot turned to Zara and asked, still politely and calmly, "I'd like to ask you again, did you kill D'mitre?"

"No!" She snapped "Of course I didn't! You can't prove it!"

Yet he continued "Zara, on the night before the murder, did you change into a werecat-"

"No!"

"Then murder D'mitre in a manner similar to a werewolf-"

"NO!"

"Then plant the body where sergeant Angua was approaching, wait for her to come and attack her with the bomb-"

"NO GODSDAMMIT!"

"Then wound her and tear her clothing so it looked like she changed and fought with D'mitre?"

"No! NO! NO!" She was screaming now, her eyes wide and mad, her hair flying over her face in a tattered main "You can't prove _ANYTHING_!"

Her face was a bare inch away from his, she looked right into his eyes, big blue honest eyes that held only the truth… but what truth? Sometimes, truth can come inch by inch, not a lie, but a truth that doesn't always reveal itself all at once. Sometimes, people only need to see bits of truth and make their own conclusions. This can be a bad idea; the whole truth is needed sometimes, but other times… a little bit is enough. Enough to tip the scales in your favour. The trouble is, is your favour the right one? In Carrot's eyes Zara, or at least the part of Zara that was still trying to gather itself, saw the whole truth and nothing but, fragmented and divided to produce the reasons why the love he held for his city and his family came first. Because personal may not be the same as important, but when it comes down to it, what becomes important, soon becomes irreversibly personal.  

Carrot blinked, Elsa saw he had allowed Zara to look into his eyes for that moment, to let her see why he was doing this. He bowed his head, "No, you're right Zara; I have no proof to my accusations. I cannot accuse you without sufficient evidence."

Vimes thought "Surely that outburst is enough damned proof?" But then… Angua had snapped like that hadn't she? It was almost conclusive proof at the time, but now… it was just a snap of temper. Anyone, Gods knew he had had many like that, could lose their mind for a split second and threaten like that. You didn't need to be a werewolf for that. 

Or a werecat. 

Carrot pulled back from her for a moment, he nodded and sighed "You are right; we have no proof of your guilt."

The babble in the audience rose a little, before Carrot's gaze settled it right down again. He walked over to the table next to Angua and said "We have proved enough for us, the only thing that remains is to shake hands and be done with this whole business."

A familiar chair pushed back and Mrs D'mitre said, loud and full of self-righteous anger "What about my husband's murderer?! Doesn't anyone care?!"

"We care Mrs D'mitre, but for now we must wrap this up. We will begin an investigation in the morning."

Angua stood up and held out her hand to Zara, the shaking, wild-eyed Zara looked suspiciously at her, then at Carrot. She glared for just a moment and then walked over to shake Angua's hand. She took it and-

The sound that followed sent uproar in the court because no one expected it. The sound, the slight smell of burning and Zara's cry; somewhere between a hiss and a scream. She struggled out of Angua's hand and leapt back across the room, landing on her feet and hissing. 

"You _tricked_ me!" She screamed.

Angua inspected her hand, the gold ring steamed slightly; there were small cuts along her hand like claws had dug in…

"Ye Gods…" Vimes breathed, "Of all the underhanded…"

"He's pretty good isn't he?" Said Vetinari, apparently, but not surprisingly, unaffected by the kafuffle. 

"Zara, the ring Angua is wearing is gold, almost pure gold and that burns werecats does it not?" Carrot said still calm and inquiring. It was the most unsettling and unnerving tone anyone could adopt in the situation. 

"It's a trick! A gods-damned _trick_!" Zara was raving "The court needs proof!"

"Yes," the judge found his voice somewhere, "Captain, we need proof. How do we know-"

A bundle of papers was placed in front of the judge. He read them carefully, whilst Zara hissed and growled under her breath. He looked at Carrot for a long time and then said "How did you get hold of these papers?"

"I was given them," Carrot replied levelly.

"And they are genuine?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"

Carrot stood back and drew his sword slowly. The sound was menacing, but oddly comforting, like a resolution that you would later regret. Carrot placed the sword down in front of the judge on top of the papers. The crowd was stunned, no one _dared_ to even move.

The judge stared at the sword for a long time, his eyes fixed on the blade. It looked to all intents and purposes like a watchmen's sword; practical, unremarkable, plain, but so damned sharp it could cut through a king's sword any day of the week… And here it was, in the hands of a man who loved being a Watchman more than anything. He gave this dull, completely unexceptional sword a shine and nobility only found in the kind of king that might not have even existed in the first place. 

Yet here he was. 

The judge stared at Carrot's face for a long long time. The man's honest blue eyes fixed at the wall past De Witte, not revealing anything, yet saying quite a lot. The judge sat back a bit and said quietly "I have heard the rumours, I'm sure a lot of people have."

"Yes sir," said Carrot.

"Can I ask you something _captain_?"

"Yes sir."

"Why?"

Carrot appeared to be thinking for a long time. A lot of the audience looked puzzled and bewildered, Vimes thought "If I had been Old Stoneface, and I had to execute this man because I believed it was for the good of the city, would I have done it? Do I hate kings that much? 

Hopefully it would never ever come to that, because I don't think I could ever do that, if I could, what kind of man would I be? Someone who loved a city of people so much that I would kill a good, honest man? Who just so happened to be… But he wasn't. It was a coincidence, a lot of dodgy evidence backed up by a coincidence. And half baked mythology. But if he were king… Gods preserve us; I might be the bastard who has to deliver us from a good man. He can't be king, it would make everything fall away from him and he would end up like the rest of the bastards… A man like Carrot could control the world just by asking politely, he knows that he possesses a powerful gift and he knows he has to keep control over it- The law, the uniform, the badge, the children. His son and daughter and his wife… they keep him remembering who he is, a Captain of the Watch, not a king, a Watch captain under the command of… the law… and me. The bastard who may one day have to kill him. It makes sense. It's so damned obvious we often miss it completely, but it makes sense, only if you think things you never wanted to think. Is that what Carrot's doing now? Testing the judge? To see whether he could really disobey the evidence that lays before him? He has to protect his wife by letting go of those boundaries he's laid for himself for a while. Just a minute is all he needs before he goes back to being the simple, humble Captain of the watch. How's that for irony? Vetinari's probably figured this out already, but he's letting me catch up so he can give me the most sardonic smile he can muster. He'd laugh this one off for months if he ever laughed at all… who knows? Who can ever understand men like Vetinari? Or Carrot? They think the same way, but on different ends of the spectrum. One good, honest and fair like a swing of a sword… the other… ironic, honest and… fair like a crossbow's bolt in the head of a truly, evil, malicious bastard.  

Elsa up in the gallery was in complete and utter awe of her father, here he was, a king in the uniform of a policeman. He walked as if he owned the city, her mother always said, he knows the life that lies in the streets and in the buildings and he takes an interest. He cares. He cares for me, my brother and my mother a lot, but he also cares for the people in the city because he knows them. He finds it hard to make his care personal and not general, but he still loves us because… well, we're his children. That was the simple answer. But there was more to this than Elsa felt she couldn't fully understand, she was only a child she knew and she couldn't think like her father just yet… but… 

She glanced at Rex; he appeared to be thinking hard to. Like his father. It was frankly uncanny. Maybe he knew? He probably knew more than she did, because… well… he just did. It was probably the family resemblance in play there.  

Carrot replied, as if the whole room had been waiting millennia for his answer, the answer that once and for all confirmed Vimes' thoughts.

"What else could I do for the good of the city?" He said.

The silence was only punctured by someone choking satisfactorily on a humbug and a watchman reluctantly administrating the Heimlich Manoeuvre (or whatever the Ankh Morpork equivalent is!).

The judge appeared to have reached a decision, and by the way he slowly reached for his hammer, it was a big one. He appeared to have made up his mind. 

Zara was growling and struggling, but Sgt Detritus had decided that he ought to step in and had clamped both of his huge troll hands over her shoulders. She struggled against him, but it was like kicking a mountain.  

Vimes felt his heart thump painfully in his chest and Sybil's hand engulfed his.

Elsa squeezed Sam's hand so hard that Sam winced.

Rex just stared.

The judge sighed and raised the hammer and, still keeping his eyes on Carrot, he spoke. 

To Be Continued!

*suspence*


	11. The Trail parte 4: The Verdict

Bad Influence chapter 11

The Trial parte 4: The Verdict.

*Drum Roll*

Judge De Witte spoke.

"I find no evidence that convinces me that Sergeant Angua murdered Mr D'mitre, this case is dismissed."

The blow of the hammer came like thunder through a megaphone plugged into a loud speaker.  

Many, at this point, would have expected that right now the party to be shouting and crying out in joy and embracing in a way that can only be described as well… …well… sappy, but Carrot simply sheathed his sword, picked up the papers and laid them next to Angua. Zara, cursing and screaming was led away by Detritus, her legs kicking uselessly at the troll. Angua didn't even look up as she was hauled past her. She simply stayed where she was, perfectly still, savouring this victory. Vimes noticed no contact at all, except that Carrot's hand brushed Angua's as he packed away everything he used as evidence. Whether that was deliberate or not was hard to say. There was no noise from anybody for a long time, but then a quiet, but relieved murmuring broke out in the hall. 

He felt Sybil sniff into her handkerchief and sigh "Well, it all turned out alright- Wait a bloody moment!"

It was not a good idea to be the object of Sybil's wrath, Sam swallowed as his eyes connected with his mother's "Oh no…" he muttered.

"Samuel Gwilliam Oliver Vimes-Ramkin! Get your backside down here right now or I will tan your hide!" Sybil's voice echoed through the hall.

"I am in so much trouble…" Sam groaned "Mum's gonna kill me!"

"Look on the bright side," said Rex, "at least we won."

"Yeah… true, but I'm still dead."

"I do not see those feet moving lad!" He heard his Dad calling to and with a wave and nod to the twins he climbed down the stairs into the waiting arms of his mother. They both winced as she pinched his ear "Did I or did I not tell you to wait at home?!" Sybil boomed.

"Sorry mum-OW! I wanted to see what happened!"

"You're lucky I don't feed you to the dragons you little ruffian!"

"DAD!" 

"She's right lad, you were told, listen to your mother," Vimes seemed somewhat distracted.

"Come on my lad, you are coming home this instant, and don't think you're going ANYWHERE for a long time!"

"But Muuuuuummmm!"

And so the conversation carried on. Vimes hung back a while starring at Carrot as he continued to pack away. 

Carrot looked into Angua's face; a small smile was spreading across it. 

"It's over," he whispered as he leaned down next to her "we can go home."

She nodded "After we pick up the kids."

"What? They're at home-" He stopped; his face fell as he looked up into the gallery where Rex and Elsa looked sheepishly back at him. He shook his head and motioned down with a hand. They nodded and begun to walk down to meet him. They passed Mr Withecombe on they're way out; Elsa stopped and stared as he sipped his drink again.

"Well done little missy," he said when he noticed her "Your father did well. Give him my thanks for me won't you?"

"Yes sir," she said and added "Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you cover up your drink like that? People will think you ARE drinking blo-"

"Let 'em think what they like miss, but I gets left alone if I drinks like this. No one bothers me."

"But why bother with the tomato juice?"

"I like to think I'm a better person for it miss, it's a little complicated for you I suppose," he lifted his black cloak over his head "what with you bein' so young, but you will understand when you're older I have no doubt."

He disappeared down the steps ahead of her. 

"Rex! Elsa! Here now please!" Carrot didn't have to raise his voice too much, they heard him and they hurried quickly downstairs. 

They met him at the entrance to the hall and stared up at him, Angua, now de-cuffed and leaning on Carrot, also stared back at them. They cowered and muttered "Sorry…"

"We'll discuss this when we get home," said Carrot gravely "for now, just assume you're both under the same punishment as Sam."

"You two are not going anywhere after school for the next month," said Angua darkly, "be grateful that I didn't smell you coming in, otherwise I would have been tempted to give you both a worse punishment, since I feel much better after what's happened, you are getting off rather lightly. Understood?"

"Yes mother," they both chorused. 

"Good," Angua said and tightened her grip on Carrot's arm "I am in a desperate need for a lie down."

One thing that bothered Vimes in particular now prompted him to corner Carrot in his office for an explanation. There was a small Watch booze up, with the kids sent to bed, going on downstairs and Vimes had little reason to hang around. He followed Carrot into the office and said "Captain."

Carrot looked up in surprise as he was reading a small book, "Sir?" he said.

"How the hells did you do it?"

"Sir?"

"That was silver, that test proved it was silver, I cannot understand how Angua caught that silver with no problem, but we all knew it was silver!"

"Yes sir."

"You did not lie about the silver?"

"No sir, lying in court is an offence."

"So how the hells-"

Carrot closed a book he was reading and said quietly "It always occurred to me, people often set a lot of store by gold and silver, they almost have a magical character about them don't you think? Dwarves give their lives for gold, silver is a sure guard against-"

Vimes threw up his hands "For crying out loud Captain!" He cried "Just bloody well tell me will you?!"

Carrot sighed "I didn't do anything, not me, but the Octarine solution did."

"What?" Said Vimes, puzzlement clouding his frustration for a moment.

Carrot handed the book over to Vimes on the page he was reading and indicated with him thumb to a foot note at the very bottom of the page. It read:

'* Octorine Solution, although it cannot change the physical properties, is thought to be able to change the magical properties of metal. Precious metals such as silver and gold are believed to have hidden qualities that have contributed to legend and myth over the years, so in theory, the solution could numb these properties. _Although it has never been tested_.'

Vimes re-read and re-read the passage and then looked at Carrot in utter astonishment. 

"You put your daughter and your wife's future on an alchemist's theory?" He said faintly, nearly in hysterics.

"Yes sir."

"Why? The chances of actually succeeding must have been at least-"

He stopped.

"By Gods Carrot, to think I doubted you for even a moment," he said at last, "bloody brilliant."

"Thank you sir," said Carrot blushing.

"Zara must've known to, I could see it in her eyes when Mrs D'mitre called out for it to be tested."

"Yes sir."

 "That's why she called for the ring to be tested."

"Also true sir."

Vimes sighed with visible relief "She used a silver bomb so Angua wouldn't be able to tell what she was and even if Angua could smell her, it would have proven she was a werewolf and your case would have fallen through then and there."

Carrot nodded "Zara's motives were simple; she wanted to effectively disarm the watch by destroying faith in us and thus allowing her to smuggle weapons out of Ankh Morpork, although I doubt she originally meant to use D'mitre sir."

"Why Captain? The motive was there…"

"But he was the only means that she had to smuggle the weapons, I believe that they had a disagreement over something, Zara lost her temper and killed him. She must have had this whole scheme planned though, but never intended to use D'mitre."

"That makes sense."

"Yes sir."

Vimes stood up and stretched "Well, I'm off to scold my boy and have an early night. I expect to see your report on the desk so I can show something more official to Vetinari tomorrow."

"It's already there sir, just on top of the latest letter from the Campaign for Equal Heights."

"Good, thanks, well, I'll see you tomorrow then, glad we got this whole business behind us."

 "For now at least sir."

Rex and Elsa were both relieved they got off with little punishment and sat their curfew out with little argument. All they were concerned with was how relieved they were that it had turned out all right.

Apart from a few things.

Zara had been taken into custody, but soon Vetinari had been sent a note from her father, requesting that she be returned home immediately. Vimes expressed that he be not involved in anymore diplomacy, but Vetinari deemed it would not be necessary in this case. Zara's family were disgraced now, a failed mission and a broken revolution would soon throw them into obscurity. Hopefully at any rate.

Vimes wasn't so sure, he saw the violence in Zara; he had seen it so many times before, even in himself. He had a feeling this wasn't quite over yet and he wished he could have seen her leave the port. That would have at least made him feel a little more at ease.

But months went by and not a word was heard from her. The occasional letter came from Lord Modagambi came with a few rather nasty threats, but Vetinari sorted that out by, calmly, pointing in a reply that if he could take these complaints to the Muntab council. They would be happy to help, unfortunately that would mean talking about _why_ Zara was found guilty of murder and _what_ she was doing being involved with smuggled weapons when the treaty meant that if he was caught with weapons again, the council would seize his land. 

It surprised Vimes how much power the council had, the Modagambis were werecats weren't they? But apparently, so were the entire council according to Vetinari. They had agreed in  the treaty to become a more 'modern' government (Vimes sighed, always a bad move) if old families would then give up their powers as rulers in exchange for being rich lordy types who sat around in the sun all day and occasionally chased peasants. The perfect natural state for a cat really, when you think about it. Most of the families had been grateful for this arrangement, but then, as Vimes pointed out, there's always one isn't there? One complete nutter who just doesn't know when to quit. 

He should know. 

So everything was now done and dusted, life can return to (some sort of) normality. 

Except that sometimes, some people really don't know when to quit. 

To Be Continued…

Phew! Glad that whole trial gig is over, I'm sorry I made such a mess of it. I tried! Honestly! But ho well.

Until next time….


	12. Insert chapter 12 here

There's still more to come folks! I'm only planning two more chapters, then I'll be finished... This fic is nearly two years old now!   
  
Too be honest, it'll be a relief to be finished... Hope you enjoy the next chappies!  
  
Rozi 


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